RAWALPINDI: Police have launched a crackdown on the activists of banned outfits placed on the watch-list under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

In the Rawalpindi division, the police have been directed to arrest 43 individuals listed as hardcore activists of banned outfits, including 22 from Rawalpindi district and seven each from the districts of Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal.

Till the filing of this report on Tuesday night, the police had arrested three suspects in Rawalpindi, four in Attock and two in Jhelum.

According to sources, the home secretary has delegated the powers of detention to the district coordination officers (DCOs) under the ATA across the province. All the district police officers (DPOs) have been given a pro forma by the counterterrorism department (CTD) and directed to submit a daily report on the arrests or detentions.

The sources said all the suspects who had been arrested in the terrorism-related cases and later released by the courts due to lack of evidence would also be detained.

By Tuesday night, three suspects were arrested in Rawalpindi, four in Attock and two in Jhelum.

Five suspects who were arrested in the Shah-i-Najaf Imambargah bombing case and later released would also be arrested as they had been placed on the watch list of the Rawalpindi district police.

When contacted, District Police Officer (DPO) Attock Israr Ahmed Abbasi confirmed to Dawn that all those individuals placed on the fourth schedule of the ATA would be arrested in line with the National Action Plan.

“Yes, all those activists who had been actively taking parts in protest demonstrations or rallies or listed as firebrand speakers will be arrested,” he said, adding four activists had already been arrested by the police so far.

In Attock, 155 individuals had been placed on the fourth schedule of the ATA, including seven listed by the police as hardcore activists.

Likewise, seven activists had been listed by the police to be arrested in Jhelum and Chakwal, respectively.

Regional Police Officer Akhtar Umar Hayat Laleka told Dawn that those hardcore activists of the banned outfits who were living abroad but had been included on the watch list would be brought back through the Interpol.

Recently, the Punjab home department listed about 234 people, most of them linked with banned outfits and charged with delivering hate speeches, on the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act in Rawalpindi division.

The home department was considering placing the names of 112 more individuals in the watch list that empowers the police and intelligence agencies to keep vigilance on their activities.

The individuals placed on the watch list were associated with banned outfits – Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ), Sipah-a-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), JUI-F, Lashkar-i-Taiba, Al-Badar Mujahideen and other religious groups.

Published in Dawn February 11th , 2015

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