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 stocks hit record as fertilizer sales jump, rate cut hopes build
- KSE-100 jumps 1.5 percent to close above 179,000 points for the first time
- Stocks start 2026 on a strong note amid broad-based institutional buying
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani stocks extended their rally on Friday, with the benchmark index closing above the 179,000-point mark for the first time, driven by strong fertilizer sales data and expectations of further monetary easing by the central bank.
The KSE-100 index rose 2,679.44 points, or 1.52 percent, to close at 179,034.93, compared with its previous close of 176,355.49, according to data from the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).
Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, said buying interest picked up ahead of key corporate earnings due next week, supported by easing inflationary pressures and improving sector-specific data.
“Rupee gains, strong fertilizer sales growth of 34 percent year-on-year in December 2025 and expectations of further policy easing by the State Bank of Pakistan, after headline inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year, acted as key triggers for bullish activity at the Pakistan Stock Exchange,” he told Arab News.
Fertilizer sales in Pakistan have shown mixed trends in recent months, with overall offtake affected by weak farm economics and seasonal factors. While urea sales declined in some periods, December data showed a sharp rebound, helping lift investor sentiment in the sector.
This has supported fertilizer stocks on the PSX, including Fauji Fertilizer Company, Engro Fertilizers and Fatima Fertilizer, which continue to draw interest due to their market dominance and dividend payouts.
Samiullah Tariq, head of research and development at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Limited, said investors were positioning for another rate cut amid improving macroeconomic indicators.
“Expectations of another rate cut, strong macroeconomic fundamentals and better corporate results are driving the market,” he said.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, surprising markets after maintaining rates unchanged in its previous four policy meetings. Consumer price inflation eased to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices declined on a monthly basis.
Friday’s close capped a strong start to 2026 for the PSX, with broad-based institutional buying lifting major sectors and reinforcing investor confidence at the beginning of the year.
