Punjab: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2022

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on January 7 acquitted 17 workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), reports Samaa TV. A case against them was registered at Shahdarah Police Station of Lahore for disrupting the Government’s work and giving death threats. Police in its report had declared them not guilty. The court decided to acquit the accused in light of the Police report. In October, thousands of TLP workers were arrested and FIRs, under sections of inciting violence and terrorism, were registered at multiple Police stations in Lahore after they clashed with the Punjab Police during their march on Islamabad. Read less...

An Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) of Lahore on January 12 announced nine times death sentence to four accused in the Johar Town Blast case while a female accused has been sentenced to five years imprisonment, reports Geo News. ATC court judge Arshah Hussian Bhutta put forward his verdict of the case in which at least three people were killed, while 21 others sustained injuries on June 23, 2021. Citing security reason, the proceedings of the trial was completed in Kot Lakhpat Jail of Lahore. The accused included Eid Gul, Sajjad Shah, Peter Paul, Ziaullah, and Ayesha. During the case proceedings, almost 56 statements from the witnesses were recorded. However, all the accused refused to accept the allegations levelled against them. Read less...

Law Enforcement Authorities (LEAs) have identified suspects in the blast in the Anarkali Market of Lahore (January 20) using CCTV footage and had prepared their sketches, The Nation reports on January 21. According to sources, progress has been made in the Lahore blast after investigators prepared sketches of the suspects through geo-fencing and CCTV footage. “The terrorist who planted a bag at the blast site was in contact with his handler,” they said adding the terrorists have been identified using CCTV footage. Inspector General (IG) Punjab has presented the initial investigation report of the Lahore blast to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Read less...

Three persons were killed and over 33 others injured in a bomb explosion near Pan Mandi of New Anarkali Bazar area of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, in the afternoon of January 20, reports Dawn. The explosion left a crater at the site. A newly formed (date of formation unknown) Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) on twitter claimed the responsibility for the attack. The group was formed earlier this month when two separatist groups — Balochistan Republican Army and United Baloch Army — merged. BNA’s “spokesperson’ Mureed Baloch claimed that the target of the blast was Habib Bank employees. A detailed statement will be issued soon, added Mureed Baloch. Read less...

A senior journalist of a private news channel, Hasnain Shah, was shot dead outside the Lahore Press Club (LPC) near Shimla Pahari area of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab, on January 24, reports Daily Times. According to the Police, two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened firing at the vehicle of Hussnain Shah near Shimla Pahari, killing him on the spot. Hasnain Shah was a crime reporter for a local TV channel and also a member of the LPC. Read less...