The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday arrested seven suspected terrorists belonging to banned organisations during an intelligence-based operation, according to a statement issued by the CTD.

The press release said that five detonators, banned literature including 39 pamphlets, stickers and a receipt book of an outlawed organization, and Rs22,870 cash were recovered from them.

It added that two cell phones and a 3.8-metre-long safety wire were also obtained from the arrested suspects.

The CTD said that the suspects are involved in the planning of terrorism in sensitive cities of the province.

First information reports (FIRs) have been filed against the arrested suspects under the anti-terrorism act.

High alert

The development comes a day after Punjab Police Inspector General Aamir Zulfiqar Khan issued orders to put security on high alert across the province.

He had directed that the security arrangements of sensitive and public places should be tightened in all districts, including the provincial capital Lahore.

The inspector also directed that the Special Branch and the CTD should beef up intelligence-based operations and provide all possible support to the district police teams in defeating criminals.

The heightened security measures come after yesterday’s blast in the capital had left one policeman martyred and six people injured. Immediately after the blast, the Islamabad inspector-general issued orders for a “security red alert” across the city.

Later in the day, the city magistrate had also imposed a ban on all kinds of public gatherings for two weeks under Section 144.

The Punjab CTD has carried out a total of 433 operations this week in various cities across the province, the CTD said.

It also stated that during the operations, the CTD checked about 19,633 suspicious individuals and arrested 96 suspects along with filing 69 FIRs.