CoronaCrimeWatch Pakistan-21
Weekly Review of Organised Crime and Pandemic
Compiled by National Initiative against Organised Crime (NIOC)
24 August to 30 August 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only affecting the economies and societies across the world but also changing the trends of the organized crime and illicit markets. Pakistan is already facing critical economic challenges as well as issues related to governance and internal security. While the coronavirus pandemic has complicated these challenges, it can also bring to fore new challenges related to organized crime and non-state actors in the country. There is a need for institutional vigilance to monitor the changing trends for better understanding and preparedness to cope with future challenges. The National Initiative against Organized Crime (NIOC) is initiating a weekly monitor on Organized Crime as a civil society initiative to support the institutional and community responses. The weekly brief is a result of information collected from open sources, mainly the mainstream media reports, both Urdu and English as well as information collected from various experts associated with the Project.
Nationwide confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan were 295,849 as of August 31, 2020, while 280,682 of them have recovered so far in the country. The death toll reached 6,294. The detail on regional distribution of the total detected cases across Pakistan as well as consequent deaths is given in the table below:
Area Number of Number of Deaths as % of Confirmed Cases Deaths Cases AJK 2298 62 2.69 Balochistan 12869 141 1.09 Gilgit Baltistan 2896 67 2.31 Islamabad 15625 175 1.12 KP 36044 1250 3.46 Punjab 96769 2198 2.27 Sindh 129348 2401 1.85
1. General Trends
1.1.Terrorism Watch
The government has banned another militant outfit taking the number of outlawed organisations in the country to 78 according to the list of proscribed organizations of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA).1 The federal government proscribed Ghazi Force, a militant group that was believably formed following the military operation of Lal Masjid in 2007.
Meanwhile, the police launched an operation on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists on Tank Road in DI Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. After seeing the police, the terrorists started firing which was returned by the police. During the fire exchange, DSP Jalil Khan Wazir and constable Rafiullah were seriously injured.2
2. Terror Financing
- The Upper House of the Parliament, where the opposition enjoys majority, rejected two FATF-related bills citing the reason of malicious attentions of the government to use these laws for settling political vendettas. These included the Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Waqf Properties Bill, which were passed by the National Assembly last week.3 After the rejection of two FATF-related bills by the Senate, the government has planned to convene another joint sitting of parliament during first week of September to get the crucial legislation passed.4 - During the week under review an anti-terrorism court convicted three leaders of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) in a new case of terror financing registered by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The ATC announced the verdict against Prof Malik Zafar Iqbal, Hafiz
1 The Nation, August 26, 2020, https://nation.com.pk/26-Aug-2020/govt-bans-ghazi-force-under-anti-terrorism- act?version=amp 2 Dawn, August 26, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1576439/two-policemen-injured-in-di-khan-encounter 3 Dawn, August 26, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1576499/opposition-ruled-senate-rejects-two-fatf-bills 4 Dawn, August 29, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1576920/govt-plans-another-joint-sitting-of-parliament-for- fatf-bills-passage Abdul Salam and Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki and awarded a collective imprisonment of 16- and-a-half years to Iqbal and Salam while one-and-a-half-year jail term to Makki.5
3. Drug Trafficking
During the week under review, Anti-Narcotics Force conducted a nationwide operation and confiscated 21kg drugs worth of 9 million USD and arrested four Afghan nationals.6 Meanwhile, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) handed over advanced IT equipment, protection gear and 20 narcotics sniffing dogs to the ANF. The event was held at ANF headquarters and attended by Ambassador of Japan and Narcotics Minister.7
- District Jacobabad police in Sindh province confiscated 110kg cannabin from a passenger van bond to Quetta.8 - Rawalpindi district police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 4kg of hashish from their possession.9
4. Cyber Security
Punjab police has recommended to block 130 websites, spreading sectarian hatred in the province, however government has not taken any decision in this regard.10 Meanwhile, in district Attock, police have arrested three people for posting hate material on social media. The police have launched a crackdown as part of to check sectarian posts on social media.11 Anti-Cyber Crime wing of Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) has arrested a man sexually harassing a female officer through social media accounts.12
5 Dawn, August 29, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1576926/three-jud-leaders-convicted-of-terror-financing 6 Daily Dunya, August 23, 2020, https://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2020-08- 28&edition=ISL&id=5310597_15762928 7 Dawn, August, 27, 2020, https://www.dawn.com/news/1576598 8 Dawn, August 24, 2020, https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=29_08_2020_115_005 9 Daily Dunya, August 28, 2020 https://e.dunya.com.pk/detail.php?date=2020-08- 24&edition=ISL&id=5306537_56630517 10 Daily Jang, August 29, 2020, https://e.jang.com.pk/08-29-2020/Pindi/pic.asp?picname=637.png 11 Dawn, August 29, 2020, https://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=30_08_2020_152_003 12 Daily Jang, August 25, 2020, https://jang.com.pk/news/812682?_ga=2.261958989.1182493331.1598818116- 1976075825.1588973730
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About NIOC:
National Initiative against Organized Crime (NIOC), in collaboration with the Global Initiative Resilience Fund, is the first-ever initiative in Pakistan launched in November 2019 by a group of committed professionals and experts with law enforcement, media and other public service backgrounds. NIOC aims to build community resilience and influence public policy to combat organized crime.
Website: https://nioc.pk
Email: [email protected]