PESHAWAR: Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) claimed on Sunday to have averted a major terrorist attack that was meant to target the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's upcoming 'Azadi March'.

Police sources told Dawn.com that on a tip off about the terrorists' presence, security forces carried out a search operation in the Kulachi Tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan and arrested three terrorists.

Speaking to the media at his office, District Police Officer Dera Ismail Khan Sadiq Baloch said police acted on a tip off about the presence of TTP Commander 'Qari Ikram' and his accomplices, who were involved in an attack on Noori Shrine’s care taker Faqir Jamshid a few days back.

He said during the search operation, a group of unidentified men on motorcycles opened fire on the police force. The men were chased but fled after leaving two bikes behind, he added.

Sadiq Baloch said security forces carried out a search operation in Gara Jana area and destroyed at least six hideouts of the militant commander. The police claimed to have recovered two suicide vests, hand grenades, one rifle, 21 remote controls, 70 ICs used in the making of suicide jackets, 6kg of explosives, foreign currency, medicines, chemicals.

The arrested terrorists were shifted for interrogation and more raids are being conducted. The police have also arrested four relatives of Qari Ikram and is probing further.

The PTI under Chairman Imran Khan and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)chief led by Tahirul Qadri have been engaging in street agitation against the government at a time when the Pakistan Army is engaged in a full-scale operation to wipe out militants from North Waziristan.

So far there has been little discussion over the possibility of terrorists using the political crisis to their advantage.

The government had imposed Article 245 of the Constitution to allow the Army to assist in securing Islamabad, a move that has been condemned from all quarters, particularly the PTI, whose leaders have speculated that the move is political in nature - not a real security measure.