The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab has announced a major law enforcement achievement following a series of intelligence-based operations conducted across the province, resulting in the arrest of 54 members of banned organizations, including individuals allegedly linked to various extremist and militant groups.
According to the CTD spokesperson, specialized teams carried out 419 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts of Punjab. During these operations, 422 suspects were interrogated, out of whom 54 individuals were identified as suspected members of banned organizations.
The arrested suspects reportedly belonged to organizations including Daesh, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba, and Fitna al-Khawarij.
The CTD spokesperson further claimed that five of the arrested suspects were affiliated with Indian intelligence agency RAW. Two suspects, identified as Waris Khan and Danish Ali, were arrested from Lahore, while three others Roz Ali Khan, Wallayat Shah, and Muhammad Aziz were apprehended from Okara.
The spokesperson stated that additional arrests were made during intelligence-based operations conducted in several districts, including:
- Lahore
- Rawalpindi
- Gujranwala
- Faisalabad
- Jhelum
- Sargodha
- Mianwali
- Bhakkar
- Sahiwal
- Mandi Bahauddin
- Pakpattan
- Bahawalpur
During the operations, CTD teams also reported the recovery of a significant quantity of explosive material, weapons, and other prohibited items. The recovered material included:
- 7,900 grams of explosive material
- 12 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
- 50 detonators
- 98 feet of safety fuse
- Two pistols
- Three rifles
- A large quantity of ammunition
- 120 pamphlets
- 72 banned books
- 31 banned magazines
- 112 stickers
- Two flags
- One receipt book
- Eight mobile phones
- Cash amounting to Rs. 339,880
The CTD spokesperson emphasized that these operations were part of an ongoing counterterrorism campaign aimed at dismantling extremist networks, disrupting their activities, and preventing potential threats to public safety.
The spokesperson further revealed that during the previous eight weeks, Punjab Police and intelligence agencies jointly conducted 13,572 combing operations across the province. During these operations:
- 494,642 individuals were checked
- 1,103 suspects were arrested
- 1,070 cases were registered under various legal provisions
The CTD reiterated its commitment to continuing intelligence-driven operations against individuals and networks involved in terrorism, extremism, and other serious crimes.
In a separate development, the Crime Control Department (CCD) Lodhran reported that a proclaimed offender involved in serious criminal activities, including kidnapping for ransom and contract killing, was killed during an alleged encounter.
According to the CCD spokesperson, a team was conducting operations in Lodhran to arrest proclaimed offenders when armed suspects allegedly opened fire on the law enforcement personnel.
The CCD team, equipped with bulletproof jackets and helmets, remained protected during the exchange of fire and retaliated in response. As a result, one suspect sustained gunshot injuries and fell to the ground, while his accomplices managed to escape from the scene.
The CCD stated that the injured suspect was later found dead by the team. The deceased was identified as Naeem Klasin, a resident of Multan.
According to the CCD, Naeem Klasin was a proclaimed offender wanted in 28 criminal cases, including charges related to murder, robbery with murder, kidnapping for ransom, and contract killing.
Law enforcement authorities reaffirmed their resolve to continue operations against terrorism, organized crime, and criminal networks in order to ensure public safety and maintain law and order throughout Punjab.
