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One year detention under new Pakistan anti-terrorist law
Islamabad, Oct 20: Pakistan police will be able to detain suspected terrorists for up to a year without charging them under a tough new security law, the government said today.
Islamabad, Oct 20: Pakistan police will be able to detain suspected terrorists for up to a year without charging them under a tough new security law, the government said
today.
The law "empowers the government to keep somebody who is
a terrorist or is suspected of being a terrorist for a longer period of time," spokesman Anwar Mehmood said.
Under the existing law authorities can detain a suspect for up to three months without filing any charges.
Under the new Presidential ordinance, which is expected to come into effect this month, police and other security agencies can detain suspected religious extremists for one year, as well as probe the assets of their wives, children and parents. Even after their release on bail, the suspects would be prohibited from visiting any public places such as movie theaters, airports, parks, train stations or hotels. The Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2002 would also give police the right to pick up any person suspected of ties to groups involved in terrorism or sectarianism, whether or not they are banned, and jail them for up to a year.
Asked whether the government feared criticism from human rights groups over the new ordinance, Mehmood said "if you want to fight terrorism, you have to have these kinds of tools".
Bureau Report
Under the existing law authorities can detain a suspect for up to three months without filing any charges.
Under the new Presidential ordinance, which is expected to come into effect this month, police and other security agencies can detain suspected religious extremists for one year, as well as probe the assets of their wives, children and parents. Even after their release on bail, the suspects would be prohibited from visiting any public places such as movie theaters, airports, parks, train stations or hotels. The Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2002 would also give police the right to pick up any person suspected of ties to groups involved in terrorism or sectarianism, whether or not they are banned, and jail them for up to a year.
Asked whether the government feared criticism from human rights groups over the new ordinance, Mehmood said "if you want to fight terrorism, you have to have these kinds of tools".
Bureau Report