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| India-Pakistan |
| TTP leadership's names missing from FIA 'red book' |
| 2010-03-04 |
| [Dawn] A list of wanted persons prepared by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) names 119 individuals including those involved in attacks on former premier Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf and on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. However, the list does not include names of prominent Taliban leaders, a BBCUrdu report said. Although the list formulated with the assistance of intelligence officials working with provincial police departments is not complete, it includes sufficient information on suspected militants. The list received by BBCUrdu was prepared in October 2009. The published list, also known as the 'red book,' includes details on the most dangerous individuals and has been put together with the assistance of provincial police departments and Islamabad police. The list also includes names of 11 wanted individuals with respect to the Mumbai attacks but there are no details on the bounty in case of their arrests. Similarly, the list does not include names of prominent militant leaders from Swat and Fata. The list mostly includes individuals working for or with banned outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. The interesting bit is the absence of names of militant leaders from Fata from the FIA's Special Investigation Group's list. Wanted persons from the four provinces and Islamabad have been mentioned but there is no mention of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan's leadership. The list includes the names of 25 wanted individuals from Punjab, 24 from Sindh and 18 from Balochistan. Surprisingly, the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has the least number of wanted individuals (16). This is despite the fact that the province has been the hardest hit by militancy. An important name in the list is that of Attock's Abdur Rahman, the report said. Abdur Rahman is also said to be associated with the group formed by Darul Uloom Haqqania's Qari Ismail. According to the 'red book,' Abdur Rahman was involved in the attack on Benazir Bhutto on the instructions of former Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud. Abdur Rahman also used to operate a militant training camp in Khyber agency's Bara tehsil. Similarly, the 'red book' says Rana Ashfaq Ahmed, wanted in the attack on Islamabad's Marriott Hotel, was associated with Qari Saifullah's group in Waziristan. Ahmed is also said to be associated with militant organisation Hizb-i-jihad and was allegedly receiving monthly income from the organisation since 1997. Ahmed has been accused of sheltering the suicide bomber involved in the attack on Marriott Hotel. He has also previously worked as a driver to Maulana Alam Tariq, the brother of former Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) chief Maulana Azam Tariq. The book also details identification information on the wanted indiviuals and there are cases in which photographs are also available. Other details are also available. However, journalists and analysts are of the view that the information available in the book is insufficient and that they have better information on the listed individuals. |
| Posted by:Fred |