Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said it has arrested 54 suspected militants linked to banned groups during hundreds of security operations in Punjab province, as the country faces growing militant threats.
A CTD spokesperson said security forces conducted 419 intelligence-based operations across Punjab, questioning 422 individuals. Authorities said some of those arrested were allegedly associated with groups including Daesh, al-Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The CTD said security forces recovered explosives, 12 improvised explosive devices, detonators, safety fuses, firearms, ammunition, extremist literature and cash during the operations.
Pakistan’s security agencies also said that more than 13,000 joint operations have been carried out across the country over the past eight weeks, with more than 1,000 people arrested.
The arrests come as Pakistan continues to face a surge in militant attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, where security forces have reported frequent clashes with armed groups.
According to the Institute of Strategic and Security Studies, Pakistan’s deteriorating security environment has been closely linked to the growing activity of militant groups, with the TTP remaining a major concern for Islamabad.
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused the Taliban government in Afghanistan of failing to prevent TTP militants from using Afghanistan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan. Kabul has denied the allegations and said it does not permit any group to threaten neighbouring countries.
The dispute over the TTP has become a major challenge in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, with Islamabad calling for stronger action against the group and the Taliban insisting that security concerns should be addressed through dialogue and cooperation.
