The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), in a joint intelligence-based operation with a secret agency in Karachi, arrested a suspected militant linked to the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Front and recovered weapons from his possession, officials said.
According to CTD officials, the arrested suspect was identified as Amjad, son of Gehram. He is reportedly the nephew and associate of Zafar alias Mama, a militant who was killed in connection with the attack on the Jaffar Express train.
Authorities said the suspect, along with his accomplices, had conducted reconnaissance of a police officer stationed in the Maripur area as part of a plan to carry out a targeted killing.
A CTD spokesperson stated that the arrested individual has links with the Balochistan Liberation Front, adding that the group maintains operational connections with elements based in a neighboring country and carries out attacks on receiving instructions from across the border.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed that he had traveled to the neighboring country in 2022 where he received militant training. The training included facilitation for terrorist activities, handling weapons, and planting improvised explosive devices.
Investigators said the suspect also revealed that on the instructions of the group he carried out surveillance of vehicles entering and leaving facilities associated with the Ehsaas program in Maripur and passed the information to the organization.
He further disclosed that he and his accomplices had conducted reconnaissance to target a police officer posted in Maripur and were preparing for a major terrorist attack in the city.
Officials said further operations are underway, in coordination with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to apprehend the suspect’s accomplices.
