RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government has recommended that the Ministry of Interior place the names of proclaimed offenders, including terror suspects, in the ‘Red and Black books’ on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent them from going abroad.

For this purpose, the CNIC and passport numbers of all proclaimed offenders will be obtained and sent to the interior ministry.

The Red Book compiled by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab contains the names and pictures of suspected terrorists involved in suicide attacks and wanted by law enforcement agencies. It also contains the names of those wanted by law enforcement agencies for involvement in religious and sectarian terrorism. Other than their pictures and names, the book contains personal details and the bio-data of all the suspects.

The Red Book contains the name of Baitullah Mehsood, leader of the Tehreek-i-Taliban who was declared a proclaimed offender in the Benazir Bhutto assassination case registered with the City Police on Dec 27, 2007. His name is still on the proclaimed offender’s list even though he has been killed.

Published in Urdu, the Red Book consists of three parts. The first contains details of the most wanted terrorists involved in suicide bombing and sectarian violence. The second and third parts of the book contain names of the most wanted proclaimed offenders involved in sectarian terrorism and those belonging to banned outfits.

A senior CTD official told Dawn the names of some proclaimed offenders who have been killed or died could not be removed from the list due to some legal proceedings and complications.

A senior police official explained that the Black Book is compiled by the investigation branch of the Punjab police and contains the names of murderers, robbers, kidnappers and other hardened criminals wanted by law enforcement agencies.

“Law enforcement agencies place recent pictures, bio-data, addresses and other personal information in the book, along with the bounties for the arrest of these criminals, dead or alive. The data is compiled by agencies based on records at police stations across the province so they can be arrested anywhere in the province,” he said.

According to sources, the recommendation of the provincial authorities has been accommodated by the interior ministry after verification from agencies and the names have been put on the ECL.

The sources said their passport numbers were also obtained from the Nadra record so that the ECL list can be provided to all airports and land exit routes across the country.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2017