Sindh authorities on Monday said they had prevented a major terrorist attack. This was after police intercepted an underage girl who had been radicalised through social media. She was travelling to Karachi for a potential operation.
The disclosure came during an emergency press conference in Karachi. The conference was addressed by Sindh Interior Minister Zia Lanjar, the Counter Terrorism Department Additional Inspector General Azad Khan, and Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho.
Lanjar said police stopped the girl on December 25 while she was travelling on public transport from Balochistan to Karachi. Officers became suspicious of her behaviour and questioned her identity. When her responses raised further doubts, a female officer conducted additional questioning.
Authorities said the inquiry revealed that the girl, a school student from Balochistan whose identity has been withheld due to her age, had been recruited online by the banned Balochistan Liberation Army. She was allegedly travelling to Karachi to meet handlers linked to the group.
According to police, the girl said she was initially contacted through her Instagram account. She was later added to a WhatsApp group. This group shared anti-state and anti-military content, promoted separatist narratives, and glorified Baloch militant figures, including Shari Baloch.
CTD foils a plot by Fitna-e-Hindustan and saves a young woman from terrorism and exploitation
This is the story of a vulnerable orphaned schoolgirl who was targeted through social media by operatives of Fitna-e-Hindustan. The girl, the daughter of a government employee, lived… pic.twitter.com/zsmK7GlXnN
— The STRATCOM Bureau (@OSPSF) December 29, 2025In a recorded video shown during the press conference, the girl said repeated exposure to such content gradually influenced her thinking. She said it turned her against the state. Ultimately, this led her to withdraw from her studies, family, and friends.
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Police said she later left home without informing her family and met a woman affiliated with the banned outfit. Officials said the woman further indoctrinated her and planned to hand her over to a handler in Karachi. This handler would have used her in a terrorist act, possibly a suicide attack. Authorities said timely police intervention prevented what could have been a serious tragedy.
🚨🚨ایڈیشنل آئی جی سندھ نے انکشاف کیا کہ جس طالبہ کو بی ایل اے نے خودکش بمبار بنانے کی کوشش کی،اس کی ذہن سازی سوشل میڈیا سے کی گئی،بچی کو باور کرایا کہ آپ کو بڑے مقصد کے لئے استعمال کرنا چاہتے ہیں pic.twitter.com/f9OJlNMurz
— Balochistan Insight (@BalochInsight) December 29, 2025CTD AIG Azad Khan urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity. He warned that militant groups increasingly target minors. Their vulnerability and limited ability to assess the consequences of their actions make them easy targets.
Police confirmed that no criminal case has been registered against the girl. She remains in protective custody, and her identity will not be made public. Interior Minister Lanjar stressed that the girl was not being treated as an accused.
“Due to her young age, she was misled,” he said. “She is being allowed to reform.”
Officials said the case underscores the growing threat posed by online radicalisation. The use of social media platforms by militant groups to recruit underage children is increasing. This creates serious security challenges.
