NACTA tells Senate body: Imran, Asfandyar, Sherpao & others on hit-list of terrorists

The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on Monday revealed the names of six individuals, including top political leaders, who are on the hit-list of terrorists and could be targeted during their election campaigns.
Senator Rehman Malik while presiding over the meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Interior, said that China has agreed to relax visa restrictions/ policy for Pakistan business community. He also directed the departments concerned to withdraw the permission given to foreign missions for sending Pakistani passports abroad for stamping visas.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, Director NACTA Ubaidaullah Farooq said the Authority has forwarded 12 threat alerts to the federal and provincial interior ministries and other law enforcement agencies which include six alerts for heads of political parties by name and other alerts are about senior political leadership.
The names of six individuals include Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, President Awami National Party (ANP) Asfandyar Wali Khan, former Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, former Chief Minister KP Akram Khan Durrani and Talha Saeed, son of Hafiz Saeed, besides top leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) who are on the hit list of terrorists and could be targeted during the upcoming general election.
The director NACTA said that threat alerts have been issued to authorities concerned in this regard. In the last meeting, NACTA officials had revealed that general threats have been issued, cautioning that terrorists could target public gatherings/meetings and processions during the election campaign. The committee expressed grave concerns over the threats and directed the Ministry of Interior to provide foolproof security to the party heads and those for whom threat alerts were issued.
The committee chairman said that recently the visa issue was raised with a Chinese delegation. In response to his request China has agreed to relax visa restriction/ policy for Pakistan business community as well as others. He further said that a letter in this regard has been received from the Chinese authorities.
The committee also directed the departments concerned to withdraw the permission given to foreign missions for sending Pakistani passports abroad for stamping visas.
Malik asked the Interior Ministry to ensure foolproof security in Islamabad capital territory and write to the provincial home departments as well as IGPs to take cognizance of these serious threats and take measures as required.
The committee took strong notice of the fact that Pakistan has been categorized in the grey list by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and condemned the act by terming it a mischievous act of Indian lobby.
The chairman committee observed that Pakistan is the country that has given most sacrifices in war on terror and still the world is appeasing the Indian lobby. He said that Indian government is openly supporting and financing RSS, an Indian terrorist organization that is involved in violence against Muslims in Indian Occupied Kashmir and other parts of the country, but India is not being included in such list and not being condemned by international human rights organizations.
He said, "The government must take adequate measures acceptable to the FATF so that the country could be removed from the grey list before its adverse impact."
While discussing the matters of Immigration and Passport Office, the committee expressed concerns on how the black list is being managed. The chairman committee recommended that in presence of the Exit Control List (ECL), the current black list should not be used for criminal cases; instead it should only pertain to offences related to passports.
He said that black list has no legal status and anyone should not be included in the black list on the desire or complaint of someone; rather, it should be done on court order. The committee also suggested changing the name of the list from black list to restrictive list and called for administrative minister to be in-charge for deciding the cases of adding or removing names from the list instead of taking it before the cabinet for every case.
Malik asked the Interior Ministry to formulate compact rules and criteria for placing anyone's name on the ECL and black list, adding that it is the basic responsibility of authority/department concerned to inform the accused person before placing his name either on ECL or black list within a week.
He said that it is the right of accused to have prior information before traveling so that one can avail the legal right to appeal. Malik also directed the DG Immigration and Passport to provide the facility of printing passports for oversees Pakistanis in their respective country as oversees Pakistanis are backbone of the country's economy and they should be facilitated maximum.
The directed general Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was directed to submit a detailed report to the committee about the corruption cases in Immigration and Passport department. Malik also gave directions that inter-departmental promotion quota may be increased so that officers with good record could be promoted to higher grades i.e. 20 and 21.
The committee was given detailed briefings by DIG South Karachi about pelting the procession of Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with stones and by DIG Islamabad Police about the threat to NAB headquarters and increased security arrangements in its wake.
Malik said that the committee is concerned about escalating threats to political leadership of the country and ensuring their security is the responsibility of federal and provincial governments. He said that pelting the Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's rally with stones shows that there are serious security lapses which cannot be ignored in prevailing situation.
He directed the Ministry of Interior to share with the committee the security measures and plans it has taken for the security of heads of political parties, voters, candidates, and polling stations, besides steps for foolproof protection of those politicians for whom security threat alerts have been issued.
The committee expressed dissatisfaction over the Sindh Police report on the incident of pelting of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's rally with stones and directed the IG Police Sindh to submit a comprehensive report on the incident in the next meeting wherein a representative of PPP will also be attending the meeting.
The committee also discussed the incident of Cholistan wherein three little sisters aging 6, 8 and 11 were disappeared and found dead in desert. The parents of three sisters attended and briefed the meeting about the incident that had happened on 13th June last and the committee had taken a serious notice of it.
The Punjab Police representative could not brief the committee as he lacked the basic knowledge about the incident and knew nothing about the death cause reported in the post-mortem. The committee chairman expressed annoyance on the ignorance of Punjab Police, directing the IGP Punjab to ensure his presence in the next meeting after having full knowledge of the incident. The committee expressed sympathies with bereaved parents and ensured them committee's full support. The parents told the committee that local police promptly answered to their call for help unlike what was reported in media.
Senator Malik moved a resolution which was passed by the committee appreciating the role and commitment of Election Commission of Pakistan. The resolution said: "The Senate Standing Committee on Interior appreciates the Election Commission of Pakistan for taking necessary measures to ensure the elections on time. The committee hopes that the elections will be held fair, smooth and violence-free. There have been some apprehensions about security; therefore the committee resolves that the secretary interior should ensure foolproof arrangements for the voters, candidates, political leaders, polling stations and especially the heads of political parties on elections day i.e. 25th July, 2018."
The meeting was also attended by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed, secretary interior, additional secretary interior, DIG (security) Islamabad Police, deputy commissioner Islamabad, DIG South Karachi, chairman NADRA, and acting DG Immigration and Passport, among others.
Meanwhile, Interior Ministry denied issuing any directives to bar former President Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur from flying abroad or putting their names on no fly list in relation to a money-laundering case.
"Neither any stop list exists, nor we have issued any instructions to bar Zardari and Talpur from leaving the country," said Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar while replying to media queries in the Parliament House after the committee meeting. However, he said the ministry will look into the matter after receiving any order from the court.