SAHIWAL: TheCounter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested two suspectsfor collecting donations for a banned religious outfit in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) at Mandi Chowk here on Thursday night

According to the CTD officials, the suspects, identified as Muqeed Khan and Abdullah Afridi, belonging to the banned Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were allegedly collecting donations for the militant outfit.

The officials also claimed to have recovered three receipt books bearing the TTP name and flag, along with Rs42,700 collected as donations.

They say that Muqeed Khan is a resident of North Nazimabad, Block B, Karachi, while Abduallah Afridi belongs to Billi Tang Kot, Kohat, KP.

Militant gets 31-year jail term

As per the officials, during interrogation, Muqeed confessed that he would collect funds for the banned outfit and hand the amount over to Afridi.

The CTD officials say the suspects also admitted that the collected amounts were used for buying arms and terrorism funding.

A case has been registered against the suspects under sections 11-F(2), 11-N, 11-H, 11-I and 11-J of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), on the complaint of CTD Inspector Waqas Sharif at the local CTD police station.

The suspects were shifted to CTD headquarters for interrogation.

Meanwhile, Regional Anti-Terrorism Court Special Judge Ziaullah Khan handed down a 31-year jail term to a militant linked to the banned TTP.

The convict, Azizullah Khan, a resident of Tehsil Takhat Nusrati, Karak district of KP, was captured by CTD at 96/6-R village, Niaz Chowk, in an IBO on Feb 19, 2025.

The CTD recovered 2,040 grams of explosive material, primacord, detonators, an iron box, 9V dry batteries, and other electronic devices to be used for terrorist activities.

CTD, Sahiwal, booked Aziz in FIR No 01/25 under sections 4 & 5 of the Explosives Act-1908 and 7-ATA/1997 on the complaint of Umer Ashraf.

GOLD THEFT:Three women, posing as customers, allegedly stole away a box carrying around 25-tola gold ornaments worth Rs8 million from a goldsmith’s shop in Main Bazaar, Malika Hans, Pakpattan district, on Friday.

As per police, complainant Islamud Din, a goldsmith, said three women arrived at his shop and told him that they wanted to purchase jewelry for their cousins’ weddings.

He said that women, who had concealed their faces with chaddars, were shown gold ornaments of different designs packed in jewellery boxes.

Meanwhile, one of them suddenly expressed concern that her minor son had gone missing. Appearing distressed, the women hurriedly left the shop on the pretext of looking for the “missing” boy, he said.

Shortly after their departure, Islamud Din realised that one of the jewellery boxes was missing. He rushed to trace the women, but they had already vanished into thin air.

Upon being informed, a police team arrived at the shop and examined the CCTV footage showing the women seated inside the shop and later leaving in a hurry.

The police have registered a theft case against the unidentified women and launched an investigation into the matter.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025