KARACHI: The Counterterrorism Department (CTD) of the police in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province announced on Saturday it had foiled a major attack planned to coincide with Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14, following the arrest of two militants belonging to a proscribed armed group operating in the region.
The Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) is a separatist militant outfit known for its violent activities aimed at promoting Sindhi nationalism.
The group has been involved in a range of attacks, including bombings, targeted killings and sabotage of infrastructure such as railway tracks and electricity pylons.
The CTD reported it had arrested two members of the group, Jameel Sheikh and Salahuddin Jatoi, with the help of intelligence agencies while they were planning an attack in Larkana, a major urban center known historically and politically as the hometown of the Bhutto family.
“The arrested terrorists had planned to bomb the central ceremony and the jail on Independence Day,” CTD Deputy Superintendent of Police Syed Asghar Shah said in a written statement.
“Explosives weighing 350 grams, six detonators, a hand grenade, safety fuse, wire, nuts and bolts and black powder were recovered from the terrorists,” he added.
Shah said the two suspected militants were also involved in the attack on a police office with a hand grenade two months ago.
“The arrested terrorists had received 15 days of training in Kandahar, Afghanistan,” he added.
The CTD announced the arrest of another SRA militant on Thursday, saying he was involved in violent activities targeting paramilitary personnel, Chinese workers and a prominent religio-political party in the country.
It reported he was arrested in Shaheed Benazirabad district, previously known as Nawabshah, along with a significant quantity of explosives and detonators, as he was planning to carry out an explosion on a train traveling from Sindh to Punjab.
All three SRA militants were said to have visited Afghanistan for training.
Officials in Islamabad have frequently accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of facilitating groups involved in cross-border attacks against Pakistani people and security forces.
However, the Afghan government has denied the allegation and described Islamabad’s security challenges as Pakistan’s domestic issue.
Pakistani counterterrorism force foils Independence Day militant plot in Sindh, arrests two
https://arab.news/mnux5
Pakistani counterterrorism force foils Independence Day militant plot in Sindh, arrests two
- CTD says the militants were planning to target Larkana Jail on August 14 and were in possession of explosives
- The arrested militants are said to belong to the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army and were trained in Afghanistan
Pakistan to begin first phase of Hajj 2026 trainings from today
- Training programs to be held in phases across Pakistan till February, says religion ministry
- Saudi Arabia allocated Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has said that it will begin the first phase of mandatory Hajj 2026 training for pilgrims intending to perform the pilgrimage from today, Thursday.
The one-day Hajj training programs will be held in phases across the country at the tehsil level until February. The ministry directed intending pilgrims to bring their original identity cards and the computerized receipt of their Hajj application to attend the training sessions.
“Pilgrims should attend the one-day training program according to their scheduled date,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
The ministry said training schedules are being shared through the government’s Pak Hajj 2026 mobile application as well as via SMS. It added that details of the schedule are also available on its website.
According to the ministry, training programs will be held in Abbottabad on Jan. 2; Ghotki, Thatta and Kotli on Jan. 3; and Tando Muhammad Khan and Khairpur on Jan. 4.
Hajj training sessions will be held in Rawalakot, Badin and Naushahro Feroze on Jan. 5, while pilgrims in Fateh Jang, Dadu and Tharparkar will receive the training on Jan. 6.
The ministry said training programs will be conducted in Umerkot and Larkana on Jan. 7, followed by sessions in Mirpurkhas, Shahdadkot and Mansehra on Jan. 8.
Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry has previously said these trainings will be conducted by experienced trainers and scholars using multimedia.
It said the training has been made mandatory to ensure that intending pilgrims are fully aware of Hajj rituals and administrative procedures.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, of which around 118,000 seats have been reserved under the government scheme, while the remainder will be allocated to private tour operators.
Under Pakistan’s Hajj scheme, the estimated cost of the government package ranges from Rs1,150,000 to Rs1,250,000 ($4,049.93 to $4,236), subject to final agreements with service providers.
