TAXILA: A joint search operation was conducted by police and army officials on Saturday in order to seek out possible anti-state elements in the vicinity of Gurdwara Punja Sahib in Hassanabdal.

The operation was backed by intelligence agencies, and was conducted before a massive Sikh pilgrimage to the area beginning on November 20.

The door-to-door search operation, which took around two hours to complete, was conducted by police officials along with two sections of the Elite Force and 30 army personnel.

During the operation 110 houses around the temple were checked, as were 146 residents.

Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Taifour Akhter on Saturday said that police were acting on information from intelligence agencies.

He said that police, accompanied by army, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement agencies launched an operation in the area around the temple. Mr Akhter said that security had been strengthened in anticipation of the pilgrimage and all resources would be utilized for the safety and security of the visiting pilgrims.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2015

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