ISLAMABAD: The new American diplomat tasked with finding a peaceful end to Afghanistan’s 17- year war is in Pakistan to seek the new government’s help pushing the Taliban to the table.
A former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan on a tour of the region that will also include Middle Eastern stops in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The trip was announced in a US Embassy statement Tuesday.
The State Department had earlier announced that Khalilzad’s mission is to coordinate and lead US efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. He began his tour Oct. 4.
His mission comes against the backdrop of a Taliban statement issued Monday condemning parliamentary elections later this month and threatening more attacks on Afghan security forces.
US envoy on Afghan peace takes mission to Pakistan
US envoy on Afghan peace takes mission to Pakistan
Pakistan police arrest 12 suspected militants in operations across Punjab
- CTD says suspects linked to RAW were planning attacks on sensitive sites and worship places
- Raids in Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur yielded explosives, IEDs, detonators, weapons
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s counterterrorism police said on Monday 12 suspected militants allegedly linked to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were arrested in coordinated intelligence-based operations across three cities in Punjab province.
The arrests come as authorities repeatedly accuse external networks, including Indian spy agencies, of backing militants involved in such violence.
The raids were carried out in Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, where police said they recovered weapons, explosives, detonators, seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs), safety fuses, mobile phones and cash from the suspects.
A Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) spokesperson said the group was planning attacks on sensitive installations and places of worship.
“The operation was initiated after investigators traced a Facebook ID named Adil, reportedly being operated from India by RAW handlers,” CTD said in a statement.
“The terrorists had been recording videos of sensitive locations and worship places and sending these videos to RAW operatives via WhatsApp ... According to officials, all the detained suspects were receiving financial support from RAW.”
The CTD said cases have been registered against all 12 suspects and further investigation is underway.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in militant attacks in recent years, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces, where security agencies blame groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
