By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: A “high-value target” with suspected links to hostile intelligence agencies operating against Pakistan has been captured, the media wing of the military, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.
The detainee, identified as Gulzar Imam alias Shambay, “is a hardcore militant and founder of the banned Baloch National Army (BNA), which has been responsible for numerous violent terrorist attacks in the country, including targeting law enforcement agencies in Panjgur and Noshki”.
The ISPR said the arrest of Imam was the result of an “innovatively conceived, carefully planned and meticulously executed operation, spanned over months over various geographical locations”.
The statement did not reveal the exact location of the arrest.
Imam also served as deputy to Brahamdagh Bugti in the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) until 2018 and was instrumental in the formation of the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), where he served as its operational chief.
The military’s statement said Imam’s “visits to Afghanistan and India are on record, and his linkages with hostile intelligence agencies are being investigated”. “Hostile agencies are believed to have attempted to exploit Imam to work against the state of Pakistan and its national interests.”
The military said the arrest of a militant leader of this stature is considered a significant blow to the BNA and other militant groups attempting to destabilize the hard-earned peace in Balochistan.
The military’s statement emphasized that the capture of Imam demonstrated the capability and resolve of law enforcement agencies to uproot the menace of terrorism and highlighted the successes garnered through the supreme sacrifices of unsung heroes.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, January 2023 was one of the deadliest months since July 2018, with 134 fatalities and 254 injuries in at least 44 militant attacks across the country.
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