Senior officials from the Punjab Police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) held a joint press conference today, unveiling a significant breakthrough in their efforts to thwart a major terrorist plot involving RAW terrorists.
Additional IG Operations Punjab, Shahzada Sultan, and SSP Operations CTD Punjab, Waqar Azeem, detailed the operation, codenamed “Operation Yalghaar,” which exposed a network supported by India’s intelligence agency, RAW. The operation resulted in the arrest of six individuals acting as facilitators for RAW across various districts of Punjab.
Authorities seized a substantial amount of explosive materials and detonators in Toba Tek Singh, and apprehended a RAW facilitator in Bahawalpur who was receiving funding from Dubai. Furthermore, two individuals in Bahawalnagar were arrested for receiving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) directly from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF).
The CTD also successfully prevented planned attacks on a mosque and a railway station in Bahawalpur. Critically, audio intercepts of conversations between RAW officers, Major Ravindra Rathore and Inspector Singh, were obtained, providing crucial evidence.
The seized materials included IEDs, safety fuses, and classified maps, confirming the terrorists’ plans for targeted killings and attacks on sensitive locations within Pakistan. The press conference underscored the significant threat posed by cross-border terrorism and highlighted the ongoing commitment of Pakistani law enforcement agencies to counter such threats.
Dubai based Facilitator is from DG Khan whose name is Zulfiqar. There is a case already registered against him in Bahawalpur. Three RAW sponsored agents have been arrested from Toba Tek Singh named Azam, Mansoor and Amjad.
In Bahawalpur sleeper cell two RAW sponsored terrorists Akbar Ali and Muhammad Aslam apprehended. Two Indian manufactured IEDs have been recovered.
A Bahawalnagar district map was shown along the border in the press conference. The additional IG explained that the IED was transferred through a BSF gate. One of the IEDs was provided to attack a mosque in Bahawalpur and the other was given to attack the railway station.
The additional IG further added that two ways of money laundering were used to fund these terrorists, one is crypto currency, the other is branchless banking.
“When we do investigations then we get to know that talking in a code word has a very less percentage. The people we arrest most of the time they are not member of agencies, they are just ordinary people or criminals. They are not professional intel operators. Majority of their conversation is un-coded and very normal,” Shahzada Sultan added.
This press conference is an effort from Punjab CTD, Police and government that this information should go outside of Pakistan as well and people should see the facts that how one specific agency is involved in terrorism. Government of Pakistan has taken up this matter formally to many platforms and I think they will do it this time also.
SSP operations CTD Punjab Waqar Azeem added that the operations that are happening in DG Khan and Mianwali are being funded by Afghanistan. He said that the RAW handlers in Afghanistan are funding them and also training them, there is no doubt in it that RAW is trying hard to increase terrorism in Pakistan.
“There are different networks of RAW operating in Pakistan. Muharram is the most important security event for the police and we do elaborated and extensive arrangements for Muharram. CTD has its own role in this. They mark the trouble making areas for us. And other than that terrorism related threats are also provided by CTD. CTD, special branch and police have their own specific roles during Muharram. CTD shares all information related to terrorism with IG and then we share it at district level. CTD also does the assessment of possible trouble. 587 trouble spots are present in Punjab. Majority of our issues have been resolved only 33 are pending,” Azeem added.
He went on to say that all of these people that arrested are Pakistanis, not Indians.
“They are Pakistani nationals working for RAW and handled by RAW. These criminals were based in Pakistan and travelled between Pakistan and Middle East. We got their names and details via investigation,” he added.
