Plot Averted: ‘ISIS member’ held, weapons seized

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday arrested a high-profile suspect during a raid on a hideout in Attock and seized a large cache of weapons including detonators and centrifuges from his possession. The suspect, identified as Hafiz Shahid Farooqi, was allegedly planning to carry out a saboteur act in Attock during Muharram, according to a CTD official. According to the security official, the suspect was also a member of ISIS. Later, the suspect was produced at Rawalpindi’s Anti-Terrorism Court-I for physical remand. ATC judge Muhammad Ayub Khan handed the suspect over to police custody on a physical remand till October 13. A security official said that more arrests were expected, as, according to him, the suspect was expected to give additional information during his interrogation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2015.