By Zarmeen Zehra in The News, May 20, 2023
The names of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz are on a “hit-list” of terrorist outfits which are planning to launch attacks on leaders of the armed forces, intelligence agencies and politicians.
The attacks are being planned by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its faction Jamaat-ul-Ahraar (JuA), which are also planning to target government officials.
Furthermore, they also plan to carry out attacks on vehicles and checkposts of law enforcement agencies (LEAs).
A terror group — which includes two suicide bombers — has entered Punjab under the supervision of JuA leader Rafiullah.
Separately, TTP commander Sarbakaf Mohmand praised those who participated in the countrywide riots on May 9 — after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested — and announced his support for the miscreants.
The latest information comes hours after Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Sirajul Haq narrowly escaped a suicide attack on his convoy as he was travelling to a rally in Balochistan’s Zhob.
Terrorism incidents have risen in Pakistan in recent months, with security forces ramping up operations to defeat terrorists.
According to a report by the Centre for Research and Security Studies, more than 850 people were killed or injured in militant attacks and counterterrorism operations in the first quarter of 2023 — a figure that was half the total number of killed or wounded people in 2022.
The report stated that January this year was the most fatal one for security forces in more than a decade. “The fatalities of security and government officials almost doubled, from 88 in the first quarter of last year to 167 in the first quarter this year.”
It shared that the TTP carried out at least 22 attacks during January-March, causing at least 107 deaths.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1071917-terror-hit-list-includes-maryam-sanaullah-among-political-military-leaders
