Rangers to join operation in South Punjab today

Intelligence-based operations to be carried out; around 300 more

suspects arrested during crackdown from across Punjab

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/MULTAN: The first large-scale operation with the help of the Rangers will be launched in Punjab today (Sunday).

Reliable sources in the provincial government said the Rangers and other law enforcement agencies will launch an operation against the ‘Chotu Gang’ in Rajanpur district’s riverine area in the morning around 5:00 am, for which additional police contingents had been called in from all the districts of Punjab.

According to the sources, the army personnel deputed in Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan under internal security apparatus will also assist the police. The operation is scheduled to be completed in two weeks.

The operation is meant to eliminate criminal elements from the riverine area. There are intelligence reports that some of the gang members are also involved in acts of terrorism.

The sources said after Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, intelligence-based operations would also be carried out in other districts of Punjab.

According to the sources, the details of these jointly conducted operations would be shared with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the federal government.

On the other hand, an important government official said no summary was currently under consideration to officially summon the Rangers in the province. The Rangers personnel and other law enforcement agencies would be used to assist the police, if and when required, while the big operations would be conducted jointly by the police and Rangers, he added.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies arrested around 300 suspects from different parts of Punjab during the ongoing crackdown against extremists and banned outfits.

These arrests were made in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Kasur and Muridke during on Saturday during raids and fresh search operations conducted by the Counter Terrorism Department, police and intelligence agencies.

In Lahore, intelligence agencies and the CTD arrested 12 suspects during an operation against terrorists and their facilitators from Batapur on Saturday. The arrested suspects were dispatched to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

At least 205 persons suspects were arrested in Multan and the surrounding areas and shifted to unidentified locations for interrogation.

According to police officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the operation would be taken to its logical conclusion. The arrested terrorists will have to face the courts and cannot escape punishment.

They vowed that the province would be purged of anti-state elements and the extremist mindset.

In Faisalabad, police arrested over 50 suspects during search operations across the district. More than two dozen of them were held for staying in hotels without having identity cards.

Earlier, the police arrested more than 156 suspects who are still being interrogated.

Furthermore, over two dozen suspects were arrested during a search operation carried by intelligence agencies in Muridke and adjoining areas. Different weapons and ammunition were also recovered from their possession. The identity of these suspects could not be ascertained immediately.

As the National Action Plan is being implemented vigorously in Punjab, the law enforcers in Kasur also detained eight Afghan nationals living illegally and five other suspects in latest targeted search operations.

According to DPO Ali Nasir Rizvi, police on a tip-off raided a place in the Dingarh locality of Kasur city and interrogated dozens of people. Eight Afghans were arrested for not having any documents and being interrogated by police and intelligence agencies. However, their names were being kept secret for security reasons.

The DPO also disclosed that five other suspects had been arrested and were facing further interrogation.

During the month of March, a total of 2,000 people were interrogated and 205 cases registered.