Freed terror suspects in Punjab back to old ways

Many of the freed men are indulging in terror activities: provincial govt report.

LAHORE:

As many as 65 extremists – belonging to various banned militant outfits – were released from prisons across Punjab during 2011, a report prepared by the provincial government revealed.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the report added that some of the recently released extremists were back to their old ways, indulging in terrorist activities and sectarian violence again. Following these revelations, the Home Department directed a strict inquiry into the case.

After receiving the report, the Punjab Home Department directed the police and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to prepare another detailed report specifying the activities and present whereabouts of the released militants.

Meanwhile, the Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also sought complete details of the particulars of all the currently detained prisoners on allegations of terrorism and sectarian violence across the country.

The agency has directed all the provincial setups of the CTW to compile a detailed account of the activities of the detained prisoners who were arrested under charges of terrorism. The FIA has stressed that the report should document their complete criminal record, latest pictures, their sects and affiliated groups, and present the current status of their cases registered, sources familiar with the matter revealed.

The Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) also sent a circular to the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), all Regional Police Officers (RPOs), City Police Officers (CPOs), District Police Officers (DPOs) and all other authorities concerned to submit their reports regarding the activities and latest whereabouts of all the 65 released prisoners.

The list included the name of Malik Ishaq — the former operational chief of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), who was allegedly involved in 44 cases, involving the death of 70 people, mostly belonging to the Shia sect. Ishaq is in prison under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) but is not imprisoned in any of the 44 registered cases.

According to report, the released extremists were identified as Hafiz Muhammad Ahsan, Abdul Rauf, Muhammad Younas, Muhammad Akhtar Javed, Inyatullah, Muhammad Yousaf, Hafiz Zia, Hafiz Qari Ghulam Muhammad, Moshsin Rasheed, Muhammad Ashfaq, Bilal Ahmed, Mufti Mansoor Ahmed, Adnan Hassan, Feezan, Asia Bibi, Ghulam Mustfa, Tahseen Abbas, Muhammad Shafiqur Rehman, Muhammad Naeem, Usama Bin Waheed, Faisal Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Nadeem, Khurram Shahzad, Fidaullah,Khairullah, Abdullah, Muhammad Awais, Muhammad Sarfraz, Zeeshan Jalil, Dr Abdul Razaq, Zawar Khan, Liaqat Khan, Shahrukh, Gul-o-Lail, Hafiz Shahid, Muhammad Amin, Ghulam Shabbir, Muhammad Arif , Muhammad Amjad, Muhammad Aslam, Safdar, Munsoor Ahmed, Sabir Hussain, Shahabuddin, Muhammad Ayaz, Saifur Rehaman, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abu Bakar, Ijaz,Zahid Hussain, Amjad Ishaq, Muhammad Shafi, Muhammad Akram, Inyatullah, Muhammad Amin, Hafiz Abdullah, Muhammad Bashkh, Abdullah, Shafaqat Hussain, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Adnan, Naseemullah and Muhammad Amjad.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2011.