Pakistani politicians face "looming threat"

By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani political leaders face a looming threat of attack and must get serious about their security and avoid unnecessary exposure in the run-up to a February general election, the government said on Tuesday.

Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack as she left an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi on December 27.

Campaigning for the parliamentary elections, postponed to February 18 from January 8 after Bhutto was killed, has yet to get going again but is expected to pick up after a Muslim religious commemoration on January 19 and 20.

"It is of paramount importance that the political leadership is sensitized about the looming threat," Interior Ministry spokesman Javel Iqbal Cheema told a regular briefing.

The government has blamed al Qaeda-linked militants intent on destabilizing the nuclear-armed country for the attack on Bhutto and a string of suicide blasts that have killed hundreds of people in recent months.

Cheema said the authorities aimed to provide "foolproof" security for all political leaders but said they too had to act responsibly, and the Interior Ministry was issuing security guidelines.

Recommendations included avoiding unnecessary exposure, keeping travel plans unpredictable and holding small election meetings.

"Big rallies should be avoided as far as possible," Cheema said.