LAHORE: Punjab’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has claimed to have foiled a major terror plan with the arrest of 49 suspected terrorists during a month-long province-wide crackdown, including a “dangerous operative” allegedly linked to India’s intelligence agency (RAW) detained from Lahore with explosives and sensitive maps.
According to CTD officials, the suspect, identified as Mujtaba, was arrested during an intelligence-based operation in the provincial capital. A large quantity of explosives, along with maps of important buildings, was recovered from his possession. The department said the recovery indicated planning to target sensitive installations in multiple cities.
In a statement, the CTD spokesperson said the department carried out 425 intelligence-based operations across Punjab to pre-empt potential terrorist activity. During these operations, 427 suspects were questioned and 49 individuals were arrested for alleged involvement in terrorism-related activities. Weapons, explosives and other prohibited material were also seized, the spokesperson said.
The arrested suspects include Shaukat, Naveed, Abdul Rehman, Amjad, Shahid, Abrar, Danish Khan, Khalil Ahmed, Jamil-ur-Rehman, Ehsanullah, Nader, Waqas, Hasnain, Farooq, Jamshed and Awlad Khan, among others. CTD said the suspects were linked to Fitna-ul-Khawarij and other banned organisations.
Takes 49 suspects in custody in other activities in a month-long operation
The arrests were made from multiple districts, including Lahore, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Jhelum, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Pakpattan, Khushab, Okara, Attock, Sheikhupura and Vehari.
During the operations, CTD claimed to have recovered 16,480 grams of explosives, two hand grenades, 36 detonators, 58 feet of safety fuse wire, six improvised explosive device (IED) bombs, pamphlets and magazines of banned organisations, SIM cards, mobile phones and cash.
The spokesperson said the suspects had planned attacks on important buildings in different cities. He added that 44 cases had been registered against the arrested individuals, while further investigation was under way to determine their networks and facilitators.
Separately, CTD, with the support of local police and other security agencies, conducted 6,131 combing operations across the province. During these operations, 243,546 individuals were checked, 599 suspects were arrested, 568 FIRs were registered and 477 recoveries were made.
Reaffirming its commitment to maintaining security, the CTD spokesperson said the department was working to ensure a safe Punjab and would continue action against terrorists and anti-state elements. He urged citizens to report suspicious activity to the CTD Punjab helpline at 0800-11111.
Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2026
