Pakistan police pre-empt militant attack

Karachi: Pakistani police have arrested seven suspected militants planning to attack security agency offices and officials in the commercial hub of Karachi, police said Thursday.

The militants belonged to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, an alliance of factions accused of a wave of attacks in urban areas and facing an army assault on their South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border, they said.

The suspects were arrested after a shoot-out in an eastern, middle-class neighbourhood of Karachi on Wednesday, city police chief Waseem Ahmad told reporters.

"They were planning to target offices of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well as the officials active in the crackdown against militants," Ahmad said.

Police recovered two jackets which suicide bombers use to pack their explosives, 300 kilograms of explosives, hand grenades, rockets and other ammunition, he said.

Pakistan has seen an increase in attacks by militants over the past two years. It has responded since April with offensives against militant strongholds in the northwest.

Karachi is home to Pakistan's main stock exchange, central bank and its main port. Many foreign companies also have offices in the city. Stock market investors have been unnerved by insecurity in recent weeks and the main index has lost about 5 per cent since the offensive against the Taliban was launched on October 17. While Karachi has been spared a major militant attack in recent months, officials and investors fear the country's biggest city could become a target.