Charsadda: In a major early-morning operation on Friday, police in Charsadda claimed to have arrested three alleged facilitators linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the Konra Khwar area of Shabqadar tehsil. The raid was conducted by Saru Police Station, which reportedly seized a cache of heavy weaponry.
According to officials, the recovered arms included four rocket shells, an RPG-7 launcher stand, five RPG rounds, eight hand grenades, a light machine gun (LMG), artillery shells, and a 30-foot-long prima cord, a high-explosive fuse.
Speaking at a press conference later in the day, Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Sajjad Khan claimed that the arrested suspects had direct ties with the TTP leadership based in Afghanistan. He alleged the trio was involved in transporting weapons for planned terror attacks within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
SP Khan further stated that the suspects had previously "participated in jihad" in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime and had recently shifted to Pakistan to replicate similar “Sharia enforcement” missions.
However, despite the dramatic scale of the operation, the police were surprisingly tight-lipped about key details. When pressed by journalists about how such a large quantity of weapons was recovered in a single day and how the arrests were made so swiftly, SP Khan responded briefly:
“Further investigation is underway; more details will be shared later.”
This vague response has raised concerns about transparency, particularly at a time when terrorist activity is resurging across Pakistan.
A recent report released on April 4, 2025, by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) revealed that 228 terrorist attacks occurred in March alone, resulting in the deaths of 73 security personnel, 67 civilians, and 88 militants. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the most affected province, with rising activity in southern districts, tribal regions, Peshawar, and Charsadda.
Experts warn that the TTP has grown more emboldened since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Many believe the group now receives not only ideological but also logistical support, which has intensified its operations inside Pakistan.
Journalist Arshad Momand, who tracks militancy in the region, described the police operation as significant but criticized the lack of clarity.
“In situations like these, information is as vital as oxygen. Guns and bullets alone won't win this war. The state must also win the narrative – and that only happens when the public is informed swiftly and honestly,” he said.
As Pakistan grapples with a new wave of militancy, calls for greater openness and coordinated counter-narratives are growing louder. While arrests and seizures make headlines, experts argue that transparency, trust, and timely communication are just as critical in this long war against terror.
