Two Counter Terrorism Department officers martyred in Khanewal

Two officers of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab were martyred in a firing incident in Pirwal, District Khanewal, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.

Security agencies have cordoned off the area and an investigation has been launched.

Immediately after the incident, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed concern over the law and order situation in Punjab and summoned a report from the Punjab inspector general and the chief secretary.

"The law and order situation in Punjab is a cause for concern," he said. He called on the government to take steps to prevent such incidents.

The development comes hours after security forces and the CTD arrested a suspected suicide bomber from Islamabad. As per reports, the alleged terrorist named Zakirullah was arrested from the vicinity of Tarnol Police Station with the help of modern technology and intelligence input from agencies.

Meanwhile, security forces have also identified the suicide bomber involved in last month's attack in Islamabad that killed one policeman and injured 10 people.

On Monday, the National Security Committee resolved to take strict action against terrorists and recommended taking crucial steps to curb rising unrest in the country.

The committee decided to hold discussions with the provinces to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) against extremism. The participants stressed that no one will be allowed to create unrest in the country.

Furthermore, the meeting decided to enhance the role of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).

“Pakistan’s security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of Pakistan’s territory,” a press release issued by the PMO after the meeting’s conclusion said.

According to the statistics released by an Islamabad-based independent think tank – Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) – the year 2022 witnessed a 28 percent increase in terror attacks across the country compared to the number of terror incidents in 2021.

The report stated that terror incidents increased by 88 percent in Balochistan and 54 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a single month of December alone in 2022.

Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed most of the terror attacks that were carried out in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In response to the increase in terrorism across the country, 16 security forces actions were reported in which 39 suspected militants were killed and 47 others were apprehended.

Pakistan witnessed a 28 percent increase in terror attacks across the country in 2022, while the highest number of 44 percent of militants’ attacks was reported in a single month of December, a report said.

Last month, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) called off the shaky ceasefire agreed with the government in June and ordered fighters to stage attacks across the country.

“As military operations are ongoing against mujahideen in different areas … so it is imperative for you to carry out attacks wherever you can in the entire country,” it said in a statement.

Its fighters were largely driven out of Pakistan into Afghanistan in 2010 but have been emboldened by the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul.