The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested senior Al-Qaeda leader Aminul Haq, calling him a close aide of Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

The CTD said it had registered a legal case against Haq, accusing him of planning sabotage targeting important installations in the province.

“In a breakthrough, senior Al-Qaeda leader, Aminul Haq, a close associate of Osama bin Laden, has been arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department Punjab during an intelligence-based operation,” the CTD said in a statement.

The statement added that Haq was apprehended from the Sarai Alamgir town of Gujrat district.

“Aminul Haq was a close associate of Osama bin Laden since 1996 and was involved in many terrorist activities,” the statement said, adding that Haq’s name was included in the United Nations’ list of global terrorists.

“The apprehension of Aminul Haq is an important development in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Pakistan and around the world,” the CTD added.

It further said that the apprehended terrorist was planning a “large-scale terrorism project” in the country.

“The CTD Punjab is diligently pursuing its goal of a safe Punjab and will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to bring terrorists and anti-state elements behind bars,” the statement added.

Bin Laden was killed in 2011 during a US raid on his hideout in the city of Abbottabad.

Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in the past year, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Security Council Commi­ttee by ISIL (aka Daesh) and Al Qaeda/Taliban Monitoring Team said in its 33rd report that the TTP had been receiving “significant backing” from Al Qaeda and other militant factions for executing attacks in Pakistan in addition to support from the Afghan Taliban.

According to an annual security report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan saw 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.

KP and Balochistan were the primary centres of violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of all fatalities and 84 per cent of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations.

Last month, the federal government approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism campaign, Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, that symbolised the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country.

— With input from Reuters.