Troops’ deployment approved for operation in Katcha area

ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday approved the deployment of military troops for an operation against the outlaws in the Katcha area, sources said.

According to sources, 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 05, 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.