Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) announced on Wednesday the arrest of six Pakistani nationals accused of collaborating with India’s intelligence agency, RAW, to orchestrate terror activities within Pakistan.
During a press briefing held in Lahore, Punjab Additional Inspector General Shahzada Sultan revealed that the arrests were made as part of a large-scale operation codenamed ‘Operation Yalghar.’ The targeted network was reportedly working to create chaos in southern Punjab, with particular focus on Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.
“We detained one facilitator from Bahawalpur and two Indian-linked operatives from Bahawalnagar,” said Sultan. He described the operation as a critical blow to cross-border terrorism allegedly being directed from India.
Preliminary findings suggest that the group was plotting attacks on religious sites and public infrastructure, including mosques and railway stations in Bahawalpur. Sultan also revealed that investigators had recovered audio recordings implicating two Indian intelligence officials.
Further details from the investigation point to two Indian military officers—identified as Major Ravindra and Inspector Singh—as key figures in the terror plot. Major Ravindra is said to have personally transported explosive devices to the operatives near the Pakistan-India border, a CTD officer confirmed.
Authorities stated that the intended target of one IED attack was a mosque, indicating the severity of the planned violence.
Investigators also uncovered evidence that the financing for these activities was channeled through cryptocurrency and digital payment systems, suggesting the involvement of a sophisticated financial network. The CTD highlighted the use of branchless banking apps and other digital platforms to move funds into Pakistan.
Additionally, CTD officials disclosed that recent attacks in Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan were financially supported from Afghanistan, with RAW allegedly channeling funds to Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements active in those regions.
Shahzada Sultan clarified that there is, as of now, no established link between the suspects captured in Punjab and a separate RAW-affiliated group dismantled earlier the same day in Karachi.
“All suspects apprehended during Operation Yalghar are Pakistani nationals,” Sultan emphasized, adding that Pakistan intends to raise this issue at global forums to highlight what it views as India’s direct involvement in fostering terrorism on Pakistani soil.
Meanwhile, in Karachi, security forces working alongside the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) apprehended four individuals suspected of working for RAW. According to SSP Shoaib Memon, the arrested men were allegedly in regular contact with an Indian Army officer, identified as Colonel Ranjit.
Authorities recovered a range of materials from the suspects, including explosives, weapons, and a vehicle believed to be linked to their operations. SSP Memon further revealed that the suspects had repeatedly crossed the Indian border—over 20 times—strengthening concerns over their ties to foreign intelligence handlers.
All four Karachi suspects, reportedly residents of Sujawal district, now face charges under anti-state and espionage laws, with further investigations underway to identify any additional collaborators.
