Pakistan mulls armed guards inside parliament

The Pakistani government is considering to deploy armed security guards inside parliament for the first time in the wake of emerging threat of terrorism, an official said.

The parliament was facing grave security threats in the prevailing security situation; therefore the government was seriously considering the deployment of security guards inside the parliament, the Online news agency said quoting an unnamed parliament official on Tuesday.

Although bringing arms into parliament of any country was banned and Pakistan was also abiding by this democratic norm, he pointed out.

He said the government had reliable information that terrorists planned to storm into parliament to kidnap any federal minister or member of parliament.

The National Assembly session is scheduled to start November 2 but the security agencies have not given the go-ahead so far. The government may also think of rescheduling the secession, sources said.