Taliban Militant Sentenced to 33 Years in Pakistan Anti-Terror Ruling

A Taliban militant has been sentenced to a 33-year jail term by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan's Punjab province. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab announced on Wednesday that Adeel Baloch, 23, was charged for his involvement in terror activities in the region.

Baloch, a resident of Layyah district located about 490 kilometers from Lahore, was captured in a raid conducted in May. The special judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court (Sahiwal), Ziaullah Khan, imposed the sentence based on the prosecution's evidence and also fined him PKR 50,000.

During interrogation, Baloch disclosed that he intended to target security personnel in the district. In related developments, the CTD conducted numerous operations, arresting another Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militant, Saleem Akhroti, from Sahiwal and seizing explosive materials and banned literature. The CTD's efforts have led to 89 arrests over recent months.

(With inputs from agencies.)