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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Crackdown ordered on Karachi terror groups |
| 2004-07-03 |
| President General Pervez Musharraf has ordered a crackdown on almost 30 terrorist groups in Karachi after a report on various dimensions of terrorism in the port city was presented to him. âA comprehensive report covering all aspects of terrorism in Karachi, with particular focus on major terror groups, prepared by the Interior Ministry in collaboration with the provincial government and the law-enforcement agencies, was presented to President Musharraf at a recent high-level meeting. The president has ordered an immediate crackdown against these groups,â sources told Daily Times on Friday. âSo far, around 30 terrorist groups have been identified in Karachi. Of them, 15 are sectarian-related groups whereas 15 are related to terrorism directed against Western interests,â says the report, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily Times. It adds that 184 terrorists belonging to these groups have been arrested, 79 have so far been convicted, including 51 who were awarded death sentences. âIronically, not a single death sentence has been executed. All are pending appeal beyond the 30 days mandatory period,â the report says. The report adds that 21 top terrorists, including masterminds Amjad Farooqi, Asif Chotoo, Naveedul Hassan, Raza Imran and Saud Memon, are at large and another 19 belonging to the middle planning tier are also wanted by the authorities. âTherefore, the threat of further acts of terrorism looms large,â the report warns. In Karachi, 222 activists are under surveillance under the fourth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. According to the report, preventive measures have been taken to prevent further attacks. âHigh-profile target premises have been divided into 15 security zones with round the clock cordons and checking of vehicles. Intelligence collection is geared up, CID strengthened and sanctuaries are being swooped upon. Mosques and madrassas are being monitored and the donation collection is being checked,â says the report. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #1 Mosques and madrassas are being monitored and the donation collection is being checked,â says the report ahhh, wish the Saudis caught that nexus |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-07-03 9:49:47 AM |