Peshawar, Jun 21 (IANS): Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has warned of an assassination threat against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a media report said on Tuesday.

The threat alert issued by CTD's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wing stated that "terrorists are planning to assassinate Imran Khan, for which they have sought assistance from an assassin in Afghanistan", Geo News quoted the Daily Jang report as saying.

According to Daily Jang, the text of the threat alert has been shared with various forums, according to which an Afghan assassin has been given the responsibility to target the former premier.

However, the said assassin handed over the responsibility to others.

The CTD has directed all concerned agencies to take all possible measures for the security of the former prime minister in the wake of the threat alert, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, a senior police official from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed that the CTD issued the alert on June 18.

However, there were orders to keep the threat a secret and prevent it from being leaked on social media, he said.

PTI leaders have recently expressed concerns about the threat to Khan's life and have claimed that a target killer has been hired to assassinate him.

PTI leader Fayazul Hassan Chohan had tweeted that "some people" have tasked a terrorist with assassinating the party Chairman.

"I have details that some people have ordered a terrorist named 'Cochi' in Afghanistan to assassinate PTI Chairman Imran Khan," he claimed.

Later, a party worker claimed that "the assassin has even acquired a residence in Islamabad or Rawalpindi".