- News>
- Asia
Musharraf promulgates tough new anti-terror law
Islamabad, Nov 17: Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has promulgated a tough anti-terrorism law which allows police to detain terror suspects for up to one year without charges, official media reported today.
Islamabad, Nov 17: Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf has promulgated a tough anti-terrorism law which allows police to detain terror suspects for up to one year without charges, official media reported today.
The amendment ordinance was approved by Musharraf's cabinet last month but was only issued overnight and came into effect immediately. The amended law empowers the government to order the arrest of a suspect and extend their period of detention from time to time without charging the suspect "for a total period not exceeding 12 months," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Previously authorities could detain suspects for up to three months without filing any charges.
Under the amended law police and other security agencies can also probe the assets and bank accounts of their spouses, children and parents.
Even after their release on bail, the suspects would be prohibited from visiting public places such as movie theatres, 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.
However, suspects have the right to challenge their detention in court which would then have to decide the matter within 30 days, app said.
The law has come under criticism by the human rights activists. Asked last month whether the government feared such criticism, spokesman Anwar Mehmood said, "If you want to fight terrorism, you have to have these kinds of tools.”
Bureau Report
The amendment ordinance was approved by Musharraf's cabinet last month but was only issued overnight and came into effect immediately. The amended law empowers the government to order the arrest of a suspect and extend their period of detention from time to time without charging the suspect "for a total period not exceeding 12 months," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.
Previously authorities could detain suspects for up to three months without filing any charges.
Under the amended law police and other security agencies can also probe the assets and bank accounts of their spouses, children and parents.
Even after their release on bail, the suspects would be prohibited from visiting public places such as movie theatres, 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.
However, suspects have the right to challenge their detention in court which would then have to decide the matter within 30 days, app said.
The law has come under criticism by the human rights activists. Asked last month whether the government feared such criticism, spokesman Anwar Mehmood said, "If you want to fight terrorism, you have to have these kinds of tools.”
Bureau Report