SADIQABAD: In a major achievement in ongoing anti-terror raids across the country, the security forces have arrested two truck drivers for allegedly smuggling explosives into Pakistan under the garb of Afghan transit trade.
The law enforcement personnel took action on a tip-off from intelligence agencies and rounded up two truck drivers identified as Sakhi Badshah and Rasool Nawaz during raid in Sona Chowk area of Sadiqabad city.
According to sources, both suspects belonging to Wana town of South Waziristan Agency have close links with the terrorist groups.
The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement is a bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.
The treaty, signed in 1950, gave Afghanistan the right to import duty-free goods through Karachi.
It allows Afghanistan access to the dry port of Lahore, and also access to a land route up to the Wagah border with India.
Security sources have termed Sakhi Badshah and Rasool Nawaz’s arrest a major achievement in war against terrorism.
Both have been moved to undisclosed location for interrogation.
The development comes three days after Pakistan Army announced the launch of Operation Radd-ul-Fassad (elimination of discord), a nationwide anti-terrorist operation, days after a series of terrorist attacks claimed lives of more than 100 people across the country.
Troops and police have been on high alert after last week’s wave of attacks, including one on Mall Road in Lahore and another on Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Shrine in Sindh province, killed more than 100 people.
After the attacks, the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) launched a violent crackdown, with Pakistani forces saying they had killed dozens of “terrorists” and carried out strikes on militant hideouts along the border with Afghanistan.—INP
