Govt approves military deployment in Katcha area of Punjab

• Punjab government seeks military assistance by April 4.
• Terrorist outfits exist in the Katcha area, says CTD.
• Over 11,000 personnel of Punjab police will also participate in the grand operation.

In a bid to assist the Punjab government in its grand operation against outlaws, the federal government on Saturday formally approved the deployment of troops in the Katcha area, said sources.

The sources privy to the matter told The News that the cabinet has approved a circulation summary for the deployment of military troops in the Katcha area alongside the Indus River.

The Punjab government had requested the federal government to provide military assistance for the operation by April 24, sources said.

The government has also sought an extension in deployment until May 5, if the operation could not be concluded on the given date, according to sources. The counter terrorism department (CTD) has revealed in a report that investigators have traced the presence of terrorist outfits in the Katcha area.

The revelations were made in a meeting chaired by Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to review the grand operation launched by the police force in the Katcha areas.

The report stated that terrorist outfits were present in the Katcha areas. It also revealed that the terrorists were also in contact with their foreign handlers and anti-state elements.

The participants decided that more than 11,000 personnel of the Punjab police will participate in the grand operation with the objective to destroy the hideouts of terrorists and establish permanent infrastructure in the area.

Adblock test (Why?)