PSX attack: Cops nab six ‘terrorists’

Suspects belong to banned Baloch group said to be backed by India's RAW

KARACHI:

The police claimed on Saturday to have foiled terrorist activity in the port city while arresting six alleged militants from a Baloch separatist group said to be backed by Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

According to the police, the group in question was the one behind the attack on the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi on June 29. They added that the arrested men, identified as Sherhan, Karim Bukhsh, Dilshad, Moran Khan alias Molo, Dur Khan and Amir Bukhsh, were funded and trained by RAW.

"We have arrested six terrorists from a nationalist group from Balochistan, Baloch Raaji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS)," claimed West SSP Fida Hussain Janwari at a press conference on Saturday evening. Presenting the arrested suspects before the media, the SSP stated that they had planned to target key installations in the metropolis.

Janwari further said that the police had seized explosives and weapons from their possession.

"BRAS has been running its activities from Afghanistan and is involved in attacking security forces in Balochistan as well," he said, adding that the suspects had admitted to the organization receiving support, in terms of training, logistics and funding, from RAW.

Disclosing that the police had worked with intelligence agencies to trace those responsible for the PSX attack, the SSP accused RAW of planning terrorist acts in Pakistan, adding that the arrested suspects had aimed to attack security agencies and police personnel. "The organization carried out attacks by activating its sleeper cells in Karachi," he said.

According to the SSP, foreign agencies, especially RAW, had been found to be involved in the recent wave of terrorism in the country, using nationalist organisations to create unrest and target security agencies.

"Intelligence agencies and the police gathered evidence that the PSX attackers were trained by RAW. We also confirmed that hostile intelligence agencies are planning terrorist acts to disrupt the peace in Pakistan and sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2020.