The Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab on Thursday claimed to foil a major terrorism bid in the country as they intercepted a terrorist network and arrested at least seven suspects. The suspects, belonging to a banned outfit Sipah-e-Muhammad, were planning a series of attacks including fanning the sectarian by targeting popular political persons, said Additional Inspector General of Punjab Police, Rai Tahir. An intelligence-based operation carried out by CTD and intelligence agencies detained seven suspects including Aslam Hussain, Bharat Khan, Muhammad Ali, and Muhammad Iqbal who received their instructions from a neighbouring country, AIG Rai Tahir said. “We recovered heavy explosives and the pictures of impending targets from the detained suspects,” Tahir said. However, the mastermind of these conspiracies is still at large and we have reached out to Interpol for their assistance in the arrests, he said, adding that their funding were channelled, too, by that same neighbouring country who wishes subversive activities in Pakistan. Earlier today it was reported that CTD had intervened, via intelligence information, an ongoing plot wherein at least two suspects were found to be acting on instructions to assassinate their target. They then arrested Musharraf alias Baba Jee and Ameer alias Shahid after the suspects opened fire on their incursion, CTD claimed.