LAHORE, July 24: Most of the ‘wanted’ men belonging to the banned militant outfits are learnt to have gone underground in view of the ongoing crackdown. Police sources told Dawnon Sunday that the operation against the outlawed groups had lost momentum because most of the men had gone into hiding.

The Punjab government has given a list of around 250 wanted men to the police and other law enforcement agencies.

On the other hand, members of these groups picked up so far by the police have been booked on charges of posing a threat to law and order, and fanning religious and sectarian hatred at mosques and other places of worship.

The Punjab police have so far rounded up around 200 men on charges of misuse of loudspeakers at mosques, and another 50 people allegedly belonging to the banned militant groups have been arrested following the crackdown.

The Punjab government, however, in its reports sent to the higher hierarchy has claimed that 105 alleged militants of the outlawed organizations have been detained in the operation.

Most of the arrests —- over 100 —- have been made in Multan division.

“We have over 100 men in custody on charges of violation of laws like the misuse of loudspeakers at mosques,” Multan police chief DIG Malik Muhammad Iqbal said.

He said 95 cases had been registered against those found misusing the places of worship.

Lahore police have also registered around 100 cases on charges of misuse of mosques, and six more cases against administrations of mosques and seminaries for allegedly distributing hate literature.

“The operation is in progress. More arrests are in the offing. We will continue until they (the militants) are rooted out,” says Lahore police chief DIG Tariq Saleem.

Meanwhile, scrutiny of the seminaries to update data about students, especially foreign, teachers and employees is in process in the province.

The Punjab police have been directed to update its data about religious seminaries in the province through a district-wise survey of these schools. The police are collecting fresh information like the number of local, foreign students and teachers.