Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday dispelled the impression that the on-going search operation was against Pakhtoons or any other community in Punjab.
“The Pashtun are our brothers, living and doing business freely in Punjab ,” he claimed.
Speaking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly, the minister said that the Charing Cross, Sehwan Sharif, and other terrorism incidents had forced the central government to initiate Operation Raddul Fasad.
Giving details of the combing/search operations, the law minister said that from February 13 to March 12, as many as 2,036 search operations were carried out across Punjab, checking 87,167 persons, leading to the arrest of 1,337 suspects, and the registration of cases against 586 persons. 17 terrorists were also killed in 373 operations.
The minister termed the assassination of PPP leader Babar Suhail Butt the outcome of an old enmity. The gave assurances that the killers would be arrested and justice done to the bereaved family.