RAWALPINDI: Following the Punjab caretaker government’s directives, the Rawalpindi divisional police have launched a manhunt for at least 2,000 PTI members wanted in 13 different cases registered under the terrorism act in the wake of the May 9 riots.

The police registered 13 FIRs, including one registered with the Attock police, after the attacks on military installations against more than 2400 individuals (nominated and unidentified). Police have detained 400 so far.

The decision to declare the PTI leaders and workers absconders and attach their properties was taken at a top-level meeting which was held on Wednesday in the RPO Rawalpindi office in which the progress of the joint investigation was reviewed.

The top-level meeting was chaired by RPO Syed Khurram Ali and attended by Senior Superintendent of Police Zunaira Azfar who is heading the JIT, SSP Operations Faisal Saleem, SPs and Investigating officers.

Police to ask court to declare suspects absconder; 400 out of 2400 suspects so far detained

It has also been decided to submit complete challans of the cases in the anti-terrorism courts as soon as possible and to seek arrest warrants to declare them absconders under Section 87 of the CrPC and to attach their movable or immovable property under Section 88 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The purpose of Section 88 of CrPC is not to punish but to compel an accused person to appear in obedience to a warrant issued by criminal courts.

After reviewing the status of cases, the investigation teams were directed to complete the challans of the cases as soon as possible and ensure the arrests of PTI leaders and workers who had been in hiding. The meeting expressed concern over the slow pace of investigation and submission of challans.

Following the police request to probe the May 9 violence, the Punjab Home Department had constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the terrorism-related cases registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) regarding May 9 violence.

When contacted, RPO Syed Khurram Ali said that 13 cases had been registered with the police under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act regarding the May 9 violence in which 400 people had been arrested while about 2,000 including nominated and unidentified mentioned in the FIRs were still to be arrested. He said that efforts were underway to arrest the remaining suspects, including those who were not nominated in the FIRs.

RPO Syed Khurram Ali further said that along with continuing efforts to arrest the suspects, they will be declared absconders and proclaimed offenders after obtaining a warrant from a court and their properties will be attached as well. None of the PTI’s local leaders who had been nominated in the FIRs had been arrested by the police so far.

The police department had already sent the names of 245 PTI activists, including three former members of the provincial assembly from Rawalpindi, to the federal government for inclusion in the Provincial National Identification List (PNIL) to prevent them from leaving the country.

According to a senior police official, under the PNIL, individuals on the police wanted list are prevented from flying out of the country for 30 days. However, the restrictions can be further extended.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023