Pakistan Detains 54 Suspected Members of Banned Groups in Punjab Amid Rising Militancy
Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) announced the arrest of 54 individuals accused of membership in banned groups following hundreds of security operations in Punjab province. This action comes amid a surge in militant attacks across the country.
According to a spokesperson for the agency, security forces conducted 419 intelligence-based operations across various regions of Punjab, during which 422 individuals were interrogated. Among those detained, some have been linked to groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Islamabad-based newspaper Dawn reported that five of the detainees were identified as affiliates of India’s intelligence agency, RAW. According to the report, Waris Khan and Danish Ali from Lahore, along with Rozi Ali Khan, Waliat Shah, and Muhammad Aziz from Okara, were arrested on charges of collaborating with this agency.
CTD officials stated that during these operations, authorities seized 7,900 grams of explosives, 12 improvised explosive devices, 50 detonators, 98 safety fuses, two pistols, three rifles, large quantities of ammunition, banned pamphlets and books, and approximately 340,000 Pakistani rupees in cash.
Pakistani officials also revealed that over the past eight weeks, more than 13,000 joint operations have been carried out, resulting in the arrest of over 1,000 individuals. These measures come as Pakistan faces an increased wave of armed attacks and insecurity in various parts of the country in recent months.
