Balochistan girl detained en route to Karachi in CTD sweep, authorities say swift action averted a looming terror threat
By Moin Ullah Shah
KARACHI: A minor girl detained by Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has said she was groomed by militants and prepared for a suicide attack, as authorities said a major attack in Karachi was thwarted in time.
According to the CTD, the girl was arrested during snap checking while travelling by bus from Balochistan to Karachi. Officials said the timely operation prevented a planned act of terrorism in the city. During questioning, investigators uncovered evidence that banned militant organizations were using online platforms to recruit and train young Baloch girls for suicide missions.
Speaking to daily Metro Morning, the rescued girl said she had been sent to Karachi to carry out a terrorist attack but was arrested before she could meet those who had instructed her. She said she did not know which location was to be targeted.
She said the militants approached her with sympathy and gradually trapped her, adding that they were aware she had lost her father. The girl said police stopped the bus near Winder while she was travelling to Karachi, and when she failed to answer officers’ questions, she was taken to a police station.
Sindh’s home minister, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, said the girl had been contacted through the internet and subjected to systematic indoctrination. “She was being prepared to become a suicide bomber, but timely action saved her,” he said, urging parents to closely monitor their children’s mobile phone use.
The additional inspector general of the CTD said the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had contacted the girl online, added her to messaging groups and exposed her to anti-state propaganda. He said she was intercepted during snap checking while being brought to Karachi. He added that the girl’s family had been informed of all developments and, due to her age, she was not being treated as an accused. “She will be provided protection,” he said.
