Lahore tops in number of wanted terrorists

ISLAMABAD: A close study of latest 2017 ‘Red Book’ containing details of the most wanted terrorists in Punjab reveals that highest number of wanted terrorists hail from the provincial capital Lahore.

A copy of the Red Book, published by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab, also available with, The News reveals that out of total 113 wanted terrorists 19 hails from one district which is Lahore.

The data of the Red Book also discloses that Lahore has become home to wanted sectarian terrorists representing two main sects of Islam. Ten Sunni and nine Shia wanted militants in Punjab hail from Lahore. Punjab Home Department has also notified head money of Rs50.33 million for 73 wanted militants out of total 113, according to the book.

Punjab is administratively divided into 36 districts, out of which 25 homed 113 most wanted terrorists. However, districts like Sialkot, Jhelum, Hafizabad, Vehari, Narowal, Okara, Chiniot, Rajanpur etc. are the places where no wanted militant comes from though some suspected militants are on watch list called schedule four of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in these areas. Eight most wanted terrorists hail each from Sargodha and Faisalabad districts. Rawalpindi, a city located next to the federal capital and hosting the headquarters of the country’s powerful Army, is also the residential address of six most wanted terrorists in the Red Book. Five militants each come from districts of Multan, Attock (a district next to Rawalpindi), Rahimyar Khan, Sheikhupura and Bhakkar districts.

The book has been divided into three parts first is about wanted 22 terrorists involved in suicide terrorism. Matiur Rehman from Bahawalpur continues maintaining the top position with the head money of Rs10 million since many years. Rehman along with his childhood friend Qari Ehsan (with head money of Rs5 million), the second most wanted militant, is escaping arrest since December 2013 when he orchestrated multiple suicide attacks on the then president and Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf. Pictures of both the top two wanted militants reflect the failure of police and intelligence agencies in nabbing these dangerous guys.

The first portion also includes profiles of Zubair alias Mughaira from Bahawalpur district and Ziaur Rehman from Khanewal district. Both the militants, according to the book, are wanted for their  involvement in an attack on Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) office in Qasim Bela, district Multan, on December 8, 2009. Likewise, a young guy Saad Munir from Rawalpindi is also wanted in connection with his alleged role in murder of an America national.

Three new entries Hafiz M Sohail, M Niaz and Zaheer Ahmed all from Attock are part of the first portion of the book for their alleged role in masterminding the suicide attack on Shuja Khanzada, former Punjab home minister, who was killed only within three weeks after the controversial encounter of Malik Ishaq and his aides by the CTD Punjab.

The second portion is containing the profiles of 62 alleged militants of Sunni sect and the third portion of the book is containing profiles of 29 Shia wanted alleged militants. Out of total 62 Sunni militants, nine come from Lahore. Faisalabad is the second biggest city in terms of house addresses of eight most wanted alleged Sunni militants. Rahimyar Khan remained the address of five wanted Sunni militants. Three each wanted Sunni militants come from districts of Multan, Mianwali, Rawalpindi and Sargodha. Two Sunni alleged wanted militants each come from Attock, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, Khanewal, Layyah, Bhakkar, Khushab and Mandi Bahauddin. One each Sunni wanted militant comes from Chakwal, Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Kasur and Nankana Sahib. Out of 29, 10 Shia most wanted militants come from Lahore. Sheikhupura is home address of four Shia wanted militants. Three each Shia wanted militants come from Sargodha and Bhakkar districts. Two each wanted Shia militants come from districts of Multan, Sahiwal, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh. One wanted Shia militant comes each from districts of Bahawalnagar and Muzaffargarh.

There are some militants who although operated in Punjab but either they were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh or Gilgit Baltistan. In February 2017, about 300 Rangers were deployed in Punjab on the pretext of curbing terrorism and government had announced that the Rangers would carry out action on the bordering areas of Punjab touching Balochistan and Sindh. Interestingly, no mentionable number of wanted militants hailed from the said areas.