LAHORE, Pakistan: Judge Arshad Javed of Lahore’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) is hearing the alleged honey-trap case of playwright Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, whose alleged obscene video is already circulating on social media..
The case is under hearing so it is inappropriate to comment on the case. Holding such cases and including terrorism clauses in the First Information Report (FIR) is certainly a matter of concern for those who understand the nature of the crime of terrorism as such a move by the police certainly compromises the nature and reputation of the police. Will be. ATCs which have been installed to deal with heinous crimes of terrorist nature.
The case is under hearing so it is inappropriate to comment on the case. Holding such cases and including terrorism clauses in the First Information Report (FIR) is certainly a matter of concern for those who understand the nature of the crime of terrorism as such a move by the police certainly compromises the nature and reputation of the police. Will be. ATCs which have been installed to deal with heinous crimes of terrorist nature.
PTI is already running a huge campaign to discredit the ATC reference regarding the 9 May 2023 demolitions and the international media has been making accusations against such courts, honey-trap cases under the same courts. Is no service to them and will surely provide more content to such elements. PTI which is defaming the nature of such courts. The ATC was introduced belatedly to deal with cases of a terrorist nature under the Anti-Terrorism Act (1997), an extension of the Suppression of Terrorist Activities Act (1975). Since then, counterterrorism mechanisms have historically been regarded as a means of suppressing terrorism. In 1997, Nawaz Sharif’s government enacted the Anti-Terrorism Act after years of political instability due to sectarian and sectarian violence. The Act established special courts and gave the police broad powers to arrest and detain suspects. Since then, the Anti-Terrorism Act has been amended three times in 1998, once in 1999, once in 2001, twice in 2002, and once in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2009. These amendments were generally intended to increase the range of offences. by the act. Apart from terrorist activities, the Act covers arms trafficking, kidnapping, hijacking, extortion, communal violence, targeted political killings and gang rape.
Extension of the duration of hearing cases of the above subjects along with purely terrorist cases, the existing backlog at ATCs across the country has increased manifold, hampering the actual work which is purely terrorist in nature. was expediting the cases and punishing the culprits. Legal circles are also aware that these courts are severely understaffed and lack basic resources. Legal circles believe that loopholes in the state’s counter-terrorism procedures allow known militants and vandals like May 9, 2023 to go free without facing charges, and to include such provisions in FIRs. Due to which the ATCs get overloaded sending the general cases to the ATC.
Hundreds of cases related to the May 9, 2023 vandalism are pending in the ATCs and there are also cases of high profile terrorists while the ATCs are hearing the honey trap cases and what is being sent by the police. Is spending time and resources to deal with it.
Journalist circles in Lahore claim that big media houses had a hand in running Khalilur Rehman Qamar’s case for ATCs because not only their reputation was at stake but also the media houses running their dramas/episodes. . Whatever is behind this move, it will surely compromise the credibility of the system which is responsible for dealing with terrorism because if the ATC continues to hear such cases, it will soon become a joke to its critics. will become Pakistan is a country where terrorism is on the rise again and a system like ATC is needed full-time to combat this scourge, while their involvement in media hypes will surely hamper their operations.