A top police official stated on Tuesday that terrorists murdered two Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) employees while they were at a nearby hotel in Khanewal.

Journalists were informed by South Punjab Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Sahabzada Shahzad Sultan that the incident was a terrorist act.

He added that the criminals were riding a motorcycle. Sultan reported that "one inspector" of the CTD employees was unharmed.

AGIP Sultan added that Director CTD Naveed Sial and Inspector Nasir Abbas were killed in the "parking lot of a hotel" when shots were fired.

Following the event, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah requested a report from Punjab's chief secretary and inspector general of police.

Sanaullah conveyed his sorrow in a statement by stating that "the incident is sad."

He expressed his worries about the security situation in Punjab and urged the province government should take action to stop such tragedies from happening in the future.

A CTD compound in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was similarly occupied by militants in December 2022; it was liberated by Pakistani Army personnel three days later. However, 10 soldiers were hurt and four men chose martyrdom.

After the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) brokered a ceasefire with Islamabad, terror events in Pakistan have increased, particularly in KP and Balochistan.

Following the attacks, the National Security Committee (NSC) resolved that no nation would be permitted to shelter or assist terrorists, and Pakistan reserved all rights to protect its citizens.

"The whole weight of the state will be brought to bear on this [terrorism]. As the nation of 220 million continues to contend with growing terrorism in the country, the committee resolved that Pakistan's security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of the territory.

The government and state institutions decided that Pakistan's basic interests in security, progress, and existence would be well-protected with valour and long-term planning.

In the conference, it was decided that terrorists are Pakistan's enemies and that the country as a whole is unified in its fight against terrorism.

The statement said, "Those opposing the writ of the state will get a full force response."

In the last year, Pakistan experienced 376 terror attacks, which led to more deaths in the KP and Balochistan and made December the deadliest month in the nation.

The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) revealed in its recently released annual report that the majority of these attacks were carried out by outlawed terrorist organisations like the TTP, Daesh, and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).