Bounty placed on 11 wanted terrorists
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday released a list featuring 11 individuals identified as highly wanted terrorists, along with their names and photographs.
This move signals a concerted effort to bring these individuals to justice, with a reward offered for their capture, either deceased or alive.
The identified terrorists hail from various regions across K-P, spanning from Lakki Marwat to Bannu, and extending to Shangla and other parts of the province. The CTD has placed a collective bounty of Rs13.1 million on these terrorists, underscoring the seriousness of the threat they pose.
Among the wanted terrorists, Habibullah, also known as Saifullah, from Lakki Marwat, carries the highest reward of Rs5 million for his apprehension. Similarly, Mohammad Jameel, a resident of Bannu, has a bounty of Rs3 million placed on him.
Other individuals on the list included Mohammad Gul, alias Saqi, from Lakki Marwat, and Rabidullah, alias Chag, from Bannu, with rewards of Rs1 million each for their capture.
Sources indicated that individuals involved in recent terrorist activities have been specifically targeted in this latest list, reflecting the authorities’ commitment to addressing current security challenges.
In November of last year, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) issued an updated list comprising 152 individuals affiliated with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from both settled and merged districts of the province. The release aimed to incentivize the public to provide information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of these high-priority targets.
However, the list’s credibility came into question due to several flaws and inaccuracies.
Notably, a spokesperson for the North Waziristan Provincial Disaster Management Authority, who also has a background in journalism, found themselves erroneously listed as a terrorist with a bounty of Rs1 million. This error sparked widespread condemnation on social media and within the journalistic community.
Similarly, the list included the name of Ihsanullah Ihsan, a former TTP spokesperson who had surrendered long ago, yet was still marked for a Rs1 million bounty. Such discrepancies underscored the lack of reliable and verified information within the CTD’s records.
Furthermore, some individuals previously reported deceased in Afghanistan, such as Omar Mukarram Khurasani, also known as Sarbakaf, were inexplicably listed, casting doubt on the thoroughness of the CTD’s vetting process.
In October this year, to combat militancy effectively, the CTD launched an aggressive initiative aimed at apprehending 135 of the most-wanted terrorists, announcing bounties on their heads.
The CTD unveiled a comprehensive list containing the names and photographs of the 135 most-wanted terrorists. This initiative, designed to combat militancy, also included the unprecedented inclusion of a female suspect in the K-P province.
Published in The Express Tribune May 3rd, 2024.