The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and the district intelligence committee have sought inclusion of a ruling party’s lawmaker from Gujrat in list of the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) due to his alleged links with some banned outfits.
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The fourth schedule restricts the movement of a person placed on the list from the place of his permanent residence without seeking prior permission from police. Besides, he is bound to keep police informed of the place of visit and the people he meets during his stay. An official confirmed that the representatives of almost all the LEAs like the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau, special branch, Counter-Terrorism Department and security branch of the Gujrat district had presented their reports on the proposed names to be placed on the fourth schedule as well as the list of those who were to be detained for three months under the Maintenance of the Public Order (MPO). These reports were presented in the meeting of the district intelligence committee chaired by District Coordination Officer Liaqat Ali Chatha in which District Police Officer Rai Ijaz Ahmed also participated.
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The source further said at least four new names, including that of the PML-N’s lawmaker from Gujrat as well as a senior central leader of an outfit of the Barelvi sect, were recommended by the authorities for the fourth schedule list whereas 19 others, mostly belonging to sectarian organisations and banned outfits from Kharian and Sara-i-Alamgir tehsils, had already been proposed in the previous meeting of the district intelligence committee about 10 days ago. DCO Chatha confirmed that the LEAs had sought the addition to the fourth schedule list and the PML-N lawmaker’s name was also recommended by them but the notification of the inclusion of any name in the list would be issued by the provincial home department. He said another meeting of the divisional intelligence committee was scheduled in the Gujranwala commissioner office on Monday (today) where the recommendations of all the district intelligence committees of the region would be reviewed and the lists would formally be forwarded to the home department.
Another source said three different lists had been prepared by the LEAs, first of the new entries in the fourth schedule, second of those who were to be detained and the third list would comprise of those who would face trial under counter-terrorism law for acting as facilitator and financer for terrorists or the militant organisations. Meanwhile, reports say that a group of the ruling party lawmakers from Gujrat have started pursuing the officials of the district government and a law enforcement agency in Gujrat to exclude the name of their colleague from their list.
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The lawmaker in question is said to have a very close association with a young member of the Sharif family who was behind getting the party ticket for him in general elections despite the stiff resistance by the local party cadres from Gujrat. At least 15 men, belonging to different sectarian and banned outfits, have already been notified in the list of fourth schedule and so far 23 new names had been recommended for the list whereas at least five local leaders of the banned outfits have already been detained under 16-MPO in the district jail with 13 more such persons under scrutiny. However, a senior official in a law enforcement agency said no further detention would be made in the district.
