Balochistan remains clueless about 70pc terror suspects

Officials consider them potential threat to province’s security, mega projects

ISLAMABAD: As Balochistan continues to bleed, authorities remained clueless about whereabouts of more than 70 percent terror suspects carrying bounties worth tens of millions of rupees on their heads, official documents revealed, posing a potential threat to the security of the largest province and its mega projects.

The federal government has already declared 28 of militants the ‘most wanted terrorists’ by announcing Rs59 million as head-money to kill or capture them. Around 321 of 456 terror suspects, already listed to category ‘A’ of Schedule IV under recently amended Anti-Terrorism laws (ATA 1997), went missing last year. Now many in security institutions believe that these militants were behind recent wave of violence triggered after work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project started in the province.

“Over 70 percent suspects (who are high security risks for the province) are missing -- it is therefore requested that further monitoring/verification of activities of these suspects (must) be carried out through district intelligence coordination committees,” revealed a confidential communication between Counter Terrorism Department and Special Branch of Balochistan Police happened on May 6, 2015.

Law enforcement agencies of Balochistan remained completely clueless about the whereabouts of 216 terror suspects, who are believed to be masterminds of key terrorists occurred recently in the province, revealed official documents exclusively made available with The News. Over 77 terror suspects migrated to unknown places in the province while only two militants are presently in jails in Quetta, they added.

With these revelations, official figures further shocked that over 2,000 innocent people were killed and 3,600 injured either in target killings or other disputes after 2011 in the province. Over 658 innocent people lost their lives in sectarian incidents during this period.

The most wanted terrorists in the province included Taqari alias Achu, with Rs6 million bounty on his head, who is a key commander of Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) with Tajik origin and now waging a war against law enforcement agencies in Balochistan, official documents continued to reveal. His aim is to sabotage ‘Pur Aman Balochistan policy’. Ammu Baloch, who carries Rs4 million bounty as head-money, is ringleader of a BLA and recruiting insurgents and his basic task is to attack foreigners engaged for the multi-billion mega CPEC project in the province. Mama alias Haji Khurd is the kingpin of LeJ and carries bounty of Rs5 million.

He escaped from ATF Sub-Jail, Quetta in 2008 and is the main character in engineering all sectarian terrorist activities in the province. Farooq Bangulzai, with Rs2 million head-money, was second in command with Haji Kurd and is reportedly in BLA’s Kabo Ferrari camp in district Mastung. Bambar Khan, carrying Rs2 million reward on his head, is considered to be very dangerous terrorists of LeJ and involved in many terrorist attacks including killing of dozens of Hazara community people and under training police recruits of Quetta at Sariab Road. Another LeJ ringleader Dilshad Bangulzai, with bounty of Rs1 million, is involved in the planning of suicide attack on Imambargah Kallan Quetta in 2004. Asghar and Yousaf Khan, having bounty worth Rs1 million, attacked IGP Major (R) Sakhiullah Tareen at FC checkpoint in 2005.

Official documents further revealed that 130 of total 199 suspects are missing in Quetta Division where Noshki, Qilla Abdullah, Mastung, Chaghi and Washuk hosted maximum suspects put on high security risk. Some 61 of 112 suspected militants are missing in Quetta district while law enforcement agencies remain clueless about 24 of 41 suspects on high security risk in Mastung. The documents further suggested that law enforcement agencies did not know about location of some 59 of 80 suspected militants in Naseerabad division of Balochistan. Over 17 of 28 suspected militants went missing in Bolan and Kach area of Balochistan.

Some 12 of 24 suspected terrorists, who were under police supervision, went missing in Zhob Division. Some eight of nine suspects migrated to unknown places in Loralai, a district sharing border with Dera Ghazi Khan division of Punjab. Similarly, over 49 of 56 suspects are missing in Sibi division, whereas 28 of 41 suspected militants went underground in Dera Bugti, the district which witnessed more violence after 2006. Over 12 of 17 suspected militants are missing in Makran division while law enforcement agencies did not know about location of seven militants in Gwadar Port. Over 30 of 38 suspected militants are missing in Kalat division. Some 14 militants are missing in Khuzdar district in this division. Official documents further revealed that some 114 suspected militants, whose names were included to Schedule IV, are found on their present addresses while names of 18 militants were deleted from the list.

Senator Karim Ahmed, who moved an adjournment motion on recent wave of terrorism where over 1,800 innocent people lost their lives in the province, says this development exposed many loopholes in policy of the province. “It is an alarming situation for the province - with it fate of mega projects seems on stake,” the senator observed. The political government should take its responsibility - this worsening law and order may halt work on the CPEC in Balochistan,” he said.

Spokesperson for Balochistan government Anwarul Haq Kakar says both the civilian government and law enforcement agencies are working on better policing in the province. Balochistan government media adviser Jan Achakzai revealed that over 9,000 security personnel - Rangers, Levies, police, scouts - making up six wings - will assist the military to guard more than 15,000 Chinese workers along this route. “Yes, occasionally attacks on security personnel are the result of rival security agencies in region attempting to sabotage CPEC,” he responded to a query.