Web Desk
Rawalpindi/Islamabad: In a significant development, the police department has furnished a list of 245 PTI activists, including three former members of the provincial assembly, to the federal government for their potential inclusion in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), effectively restricting their travel abroad.
Sources reveal that the Rawalpindi district police possess a comprehensive wanted list comprising 319 individuals, out of which the names of 245 PTI activists, presently under the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), have been forwarded. The remaining 74 individuals are still evading arrest.
Adding to the momentum, the Lahore police recently urged for the inclusion of 746 PTI leaders in the no-fly list, seeking a month-long ban on their foreign travels. With the additional recommendations from the Rawalpindi police, the total count of PTI activists potentially placed on the list escalates to 991.
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The PNIL serves as a preventive measure, temporarily halting individuals on the police’s wanted list from leaving the country for a duration of 30 days, as per a senior police official.
After meticulously reviewing the cases of those apprehended, the police finalized the names of 245 individuals who were detained during and following the May 9 violence. Subsequently, these names were forwarded to the FIA to impose travel restrictions on them via air, land, or sea routes.
Among those still at large and wanted by the police are ex-MPA of PTI Rashid Hafeez, Sheikh Rasheed’s nephew, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, who was previously arrested and subsequently released, and Umar Tanveer Butt.
Detailed information provided to the federal government discloses that the RA Bazar police have already arrested 31 suspects linked to the attack on GHQ, while 27 others, sought by the police, remain fugitives.
These temporary travel restrictions were proposed by the police after identifying PTI supporters involved in violent protests through careful examination of video clips, CCTV footage, intelligence reports, and geo-fencing data.
Under the watchful guidance of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani, the police investigation team has made considerable progress, apprehending 104 suspects associated with the GHQ attack case, and successfully conducting identification parades for 23 individuals.
The police have been directed to expedite legal proceedings against those arrested in connection with the May 9 violence.
In light of these developments, the police have also submitted a formal request to the Punjab Home Department, urging the establishment of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to conduct a thorough probe into terrorism-related cases registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Furthermore, a rigorous police crackdown is currently underway to apprehend the remaining suspects wanted in connection with these cases.
Shifting the focus to Islamabad, it has been ascertained that two dedicated police teams, each led by a Superintendent of Police, have been constituted to apprehend PTI leaders and activists from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In their pursuit, the capital police are actively coordinating with the respective authorities in Punjab and KP to secure assistance in arresting the individuals wanted in connection with these cases.
However, officers have encountered challenges in obtaining support from the KP police, as they have expressed concerns regarding potential resistance during house raids, as it contradicts local cultural norms and customs for strangers to enter private residences.
Meanwhile, the capital police have petitioned the interior ministry to include the names of PTI leaders, who are still at large and implicated in cases registered against them for the violence that transpired in May 2022 and 2023, on the PNIL and Exit Control List (ECL).
