Punjab CTD arrests 54 terror suspects

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested 54 suspected terrorists, including five

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested 54 suspected terrorists, including five individuals alleged to have links with India’s intelligence agency, RAW, during a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across the province over the past two months.

According to the CTD, a total of 419 intelligence-led operations were carried out in multiple districts to counter potential terrorist threats. During these operations, authorities questioned 422 individuals and detained 54 suspects believed to be associated with banned militant organisations.

Officials said the five suspects accused of having links with RAW were identified as Waris Khan, Danish Ali, Roz Ali Khan, Wilayat Shah and Muhammad Aziz. The arrests were made in Lahore and Okara, while investigations into their alleged activities are continuing.

The CTD stated that those taken into custody are suspected of having affiliations with several proscribed groups, including Fitna al-Khawarij, Daesh, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and other outlawed organisations.

The operations were conducted in several districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Jhelum, Sargodha, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Sahiwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Pakpattan and Bahawalpur, as part of an ongoing campaign against terrorism.

Authorities said a significant cache of weapons, explosives and other materials was recovered during the raids. The seized items included 7.9 kilograms of explosive material, 12 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 50 detonators, safety fuse wire, pistols, rifles, ammunition, banned literature, pamphlets, flags, mobile phones and cash.

The CTD also highlighted its wider security efforts, saying that during the past eight weeks it carried out more than 13,500 combing operations in coordination with local police and other law enforcement agencies. Nearly 495,000 people were screened during these operations, resulting in more than 1,100 arrests and over 1,000 registered cases.