PESHAWAR: Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested an official of forest department on charges of demanding extortion and hurling life threats at an officer of his department by allegedly using the name of a proscribed organisation through anonymous telephone calls.

An anti-terrorism court allowed three days of physical custody to CTD of the suspect Ihsanullah, serving as a deputy ranger in Dera Ismail Khan forest division. ATC Judge Fareed Khan Alezai directed the CTD officials to again produce him on Sept 22 (Tuesday).

The FIR of the occurrence was registered at CTD police station on June 19, 2026, over a complaint filed by a director of human resource development of forest department, Mohammad Junaid, against anonymous suspects/callers.

The case was registered under different provisions of Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act.

Court allows his three-day custody to CTD

The investigation officer of CTD told the court that the complainant had alleged that he had received multiple threatening telephone calls on his mobile phone wherein the callers claimed to be members of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He said that the callers had allegedly been demanding extortion money to the tune of Rs15 million from the complainant.

The officer said that after initial investigation, the involvement of the present suspect in the occurrence was traced. He requested the court to allow physical custody of the suspect to CTD so as to interrogate him about the involvement of his other accomplices in the case.

Earlier in July this year, CTD had informed forest department that the suspect had been evading arrest and had requested that he might be directed to surrender.

An official said that in a letter sent by the additional inspector general of police, CTD, to forest department high-ups, it was also requested to initiate departmental proceedings against the suspect.

However, during course of official communication, the DFO concerned claimed that initiating disciplinary proceedings against the deputy ranger, Ihsanullah, was apparently hit by the constitutional protection against double-jeopardy.

He had said that initiation of fresh proceedings on the same cause of action would be legally vulnerable and liable to be questioned on the ground of double-jeopardy.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2026