KARACHI: Apart from monitoring their “affairs” and “other activities” due to their suspected terror links, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of police has sought details of bank accounts, property and other assets of the persons whose names had been placed under the Fourth Schedule after the CTD was tasked with their surveillance, it emerged on Saturday.

A senior official confirmed to Dawn that the decision was made in a recent meeting after all powers had been given to the CTD under Section 11-EEE (2)(f) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1977, earlier this month to monitor and oversee the activities of the persons whose names had been included in the list under the Fourth Schedule of the ATA, 1997.

“The CTD has been given a monitoring and oversight role to ensure that the district police, legally bound to execute the functions of 11-EEE of the ATA, carry out their role in this matter with due diligence,” said CTD chief Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi while speaking to Dawn.

He added: “In order to form a truer picture of the activities of proscribed organisations and the individuals affiliated with such outfits, the CTD will, from time to time, ask the State Bank of Pakistan to furnish details of bank accounts of the persons on the Fourth Schedule list as mandated by law.”

Similarly, he said, the CTD would also ask the Board of Revenue to furnish details of all assets and properties held in the name of such persons.

“Also, we are going to ask Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) to furnish any records of changes made to the ID cards of such persons,” said Additional IG Abbasi. “The ID cards of such persons should be flagged, so that the CTD is informed whenever these ID cards are used for any purpose, including buying new SIM connections, or any other transactions.”

The Fourth Schedule is a section of the ATA under which someone who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation; it is mandatory for him to register his attendance with the local police regularly. Also, the fourth schedule comprises the elements found to be or suspected to be involved in anti-state activities, delivering hate speeches and/or activists of religious outfits not yet banned but related with militancy in some way.

The new measures planned by the CTD after getting the mandate for the surveillance and monitoring of such persons is seen as aggressive approach of the law-enforcement agency to keep those individuals under tight and constant check.

“In its oversight capacity, the CTD will directly summon persons under the Fourth Schedule to appear in person before the CTD, as a counter-checking and verification exercise,” said the department’s chief.

“In this regard, the district police have been asked to send a complete copy of all personal files of all persons placed on the Fourth Schedule to CTD’s monitoring cell in the office of the SSP Intelligence.”

He said for a smoother chain of command, the CTD would frequently report to the Sindh police chief on the smooth working of the processing of individuals under the Fourth Schedule with its recommendations to the district police forces if any lapse was observed in the legal procedures.

“It is because the primary responsibility for recommending persons to be placed under the Fourth Schedule will continue to rest with the district police,” added Additional IG Abbasi. “Similarly it is also primarily the responsibility of the district police for maintaining dossiers and personal files on all such persons, and ensuring their regular appearance at their local police stations.”

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2016