LAHORE: In a significant move to enhance surveillance of high-risk individuals, the Punjab Home Department said on Thursday that habitual criminalsand terror suspects listed in the Fourth Schedule will now be required to wear electronic tracking devices for round-the-clock monitoring.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal to strengthen law enforcement capabilities in tracking movements of potential threats. Special Home Secretary Home Fazlur Rehman, Additional Inspector General of Crime Control Department Sohail Zafar Chatha, Deputy IG Operations Punjab Waqas Nazir, AdditionalSecretary Police Dr Zeeshan Hanif and other relevant officers of the law and treasury departments were also present.

There are around 1,600 terror suspects on the Fourth Schedule in Punjab. The Fourth Schedule list contains names of all known suspects belonging to banned militant or sectarian organisations, who by their disposition could pose a threat to public peace and security. Such suspects have to submit an affidavit to the government, pledging they would no more be associated with any banned organisation in future or engage in any criminal activity.

Under the law, a fourth scheduler cannot leave a specific area without informing the authorities concerned. In case of failure to do so, they can be taken into custody.

`To monitor criminals and maintain law and order, the Punjab Home Department took a historic decision, mandating habitual criminals and individuals on the Fourth Schedule to wear tracking devices,` a statement from the department said.

It said that tracking devices will be provided to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Parole Department, and Crime Control Department.

`The Punjab Home Department is initially distributing 1,500 tracking devices to law enforcement agencies, of which 500 tracking devices will be given to the recently-formed Crime Control Department, 900 to the CTD, and 100 to the Parole Department.

`The movement of those wearing tracking devices will be monitored24/7,` the statement said.

Mr Mengal directed relevant authorities to import tracking devices equipped with modern technology for the second phase. `Globally-accepted methods will be adopted to keep criminals under surveillance. It should be noted that experts have recommended implanting microtracking chips in the bodies of criminals for uninterrupted surveillance,` the statement said.

In July 2023, Punjab police had unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered `facial recognition system` aimed at enhancing accountability, reliability, and efficiency in tracing and apprehending suspects and wanted criminals.

In 2016, the home department issued a notification and gave powers to the CTD of police to keep an eye on the suspects placed under the Fourth Schedule.

The CTD was looking into all the matters pertaining to the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The Punjab government, on the recommendation of law enforcement agencies, planned to install electronic surveillance chips on the ankles of the fourth schedulers in the province to monitor their movement.