Pak Govt’s new bill to put stricter checks on terrorists

ISLAMABAD - To have an adequate deterrence and curb on terrorism effectively in the country, the Pakistan Government has introduced a comprehensive legislation in the Senate in this regard.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik introduced the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2010 to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, which contains several measures to make the law harder on terrorists.

The proposed bill, which was referred to the committee concerned for further deliberations, would help plug the loopholes and improve the grey areas in the law to combat terrorism in wider terms, the Daily Times reports.

Under the proposed bill, if the members of a proscribed organisation are found continuing their activities, they would not be issued any passport, granted any loan or issued credit cards from a financial institution. No fresh arms licences would be issued to such people and the licences already issued would stand void, the law states.

Assets of a convicted terrorist, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income, would be presumed, unless proven contrary, to have been acquired through terrorist activities and shall be liable to be fortified.

Under the proposed amendments, a person arrested under terrorism charges can be kept behind bars for 90 days and his detention cannot be challenged in any court. The detainee would be produced in-camera before the court within 24 hours.

The bill said that destroying government and private properties with force, resisting against law enforcers, glorifying terrorists and establishing illegal FM radio stations would be considered acts of terrorism. (ANI)