Lahore, Apr 11: If a Pakistan Interior Ministry report is to be believed, militant groups are planning to abduct senior government officials and politicians, or their families, from four major cities of the Punjab province.

The abductions are reportedly being planned to pressure the federal government to free detained terror suspects.

Citing the Interior Ministry report, a TV channel said that terrorist groups had deployed militants to Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Multan and Bahawalpur to carry out the abductions, which, it said, had been masterminded by a Lodhran resident.

Though it wasn’t clear which organization these militants belonged to, but the Lodhran resident said the militants wanted to exchange the abducted men for detained terrorists, the Daily Times quoted the TV report as saying.

Following the report, police have enhanced security in the four Punjab cities, the paper said an added that potential targets were being given additional protection. The police had begun searching for suspects and were keeping a close watch on madrassas, added the paper. (ANI)