LAHORE  - Law enforcing agencies have launched a hunt across the provincial metropolis following intelligence inputs anticipating militant activity in the Punjab province.
Last month, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) refused to extend ceasefire with the government as the uncertain peace talks reached a lock.
A leading intelligence agency received credible information that some militants belonging to a group linked to TTP have entered Lahore and were planning to carry out terror attacks in response to the recent military strikes in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
The Lahore police kicked off a massive search operation on Saturday evening after intelligence reports hinted the so-called Punjabi Taliban are providing shelter and logistic support to militants at their hideouts in the suburbs of Lahore as they did in the past.
Lahore DIG (Operations) Rana Abdul Jabbar presided over a meeting and directed all the divisional police officers (SPs) to personally monitor search and sweep operations in their precincts. A police spokesman said that the pubic is also being sensitised about the operations through loudspeakers and cable network. The operation has been launched in the wake of possible terror attack in Lahore, he added.   Thousands of cops are checking particulars of suspected persons while special units comprising personnel of the Quick Response Fore (QRF) are searching inns, hotels, religious seminaries, and public places.
According to Lahore Operations police chief, at least 320 persons were detained during search operation launched on the weekend in Khan Colony in Naseerabad, Bund Road, Shaheen Abad, Hanjarwal, Shera Kot, Bilal Gunj, and Data Darbar areas.  More than 2100 policemen are taking part in the search operations launched in City, Sadar, Model Town, and Iqbal Town police divisions to check the particulars of the outsiders, particularly Afghan nationals staying illegally. A big search operation was also underway near Kot Lakhpat Jail in Model Town till Saturday midnight.
A police officer said that the slums located in the suburb of Lahore were thoroughly searched and suspects quizzed. He said the people who failed to produce their documented identities were taken to respective police stations for interrogation.  Several police teams had been dispatched for searching suspects in hotels, inns, and residential localities in Qila Gujjar Singh and Mughalpura areas. Cops also conducted investigation from various aspects but no major arrest was made till late Saturday.
Citing intelligence reports, police sources revealed that the militants are tasked to attack key government installations, influential communicators, and important persons.  In order to mark their signatures militants are expanding their activities by targeting all unguarded, reticent, and mute segments of society. The aim is to show off their strength of defiance.  Security experts say that the government has to take a lead and responsibility to fight the posed threat.
Last year, the federal interior ministry had pinpointed more than 500 religious schools involved in fomenting extremism besides accepting huge funds from donors abroad.  Recently, law enforcing and intelligence agencies compiled a list of such religious madrassas along with basic particulars like the source of funding, belief, number of teachers, students, and other activities as well.
These madrassas are divided in four major categories of A, B, C and D, most the madrassas fall in D-category, which is considered as non-extremist. The police are also directed to hunt down those who had been financing the unregistered madrassas by examining their sources of funding.