ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has intensified security operations across multiple cities amid heightened terror threats, officials said on Tuesday, with police in the capital launching large-scale search operations and counterterrorism authorities in Punjab reporting dozens of arrests over the past month.
The stepped-up operations come as Pakistan faces a renewed surge in militant violence, particularly by the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has carried out a series of attacks in recent years targeting security forces, mosques and government installations, including in Islamabad. Authorities have warned of continued threats to urban centers, prompting tighter security and intelligence-based operations nationwide.
In Islamabad, police conducted “grand combing and search operations” across several areas on the orders of the inspector general, according to a police statement.
Police said special checkpoints had been set up at entry and exit points of the capital, while patrol units and special squads were deployed across the city.
“701 individuals and 262 households were checked during the search operations,” the Islamabad police spokesperson said.
Authorities also inspected 83 shops and 48 hotels, while checking 251 motorcycles and 117 vehicles, the statement said.
“27 suspicious individuals and 23 motorcycles were shifted to police stations for further verification,” it added.
The crackdown in Islamabad comes as counterterrorism authorities in Punjab reported a broader campaign targeting suspected militants across the province.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said it had conducted 366 intelligence-based operations over the past month, arresting 36 suspected militants in cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Jhelum.
“During intelligence-based operations, 36 terrorists were arrested,” a CTD spokesperson said.
Officials said two “dangerous terrorists” linked to “Fitna Al-Khawarij,” a term used by Pakistani authorities for TTP-linked militants, were arrested in Faisalabad and Jhelum along with explosives, including improvised explosive devices, detonators and fuse wire.
Authorities said the suspects were planning attacks to spread fear among the public.
The CTD added that 7,799 combing operations were carried out during the same period, during which more than 296,000 individuals were questioned and 1,261 suspects detained.
