Fazl warns govt against amending ATA of 1997

ISLAMABAD: JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday asked the government should refrain from making amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

Addressing a press conference here after presiding over two-day meeting of JUIF central working committee, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that democratic institutions could not give sweeping powers to security institutions to detain individuals on basis of suspicion for a period of three months.

He told newsmen that the government was going to execute such legislation which will amount to civilian martial law in the country. “Previously, we have complains with the NAB and now sweeping powers are being given to the security institutions to detain persons”, he said.

He also observed that the passage of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Act, 2024 would also negate what the government on demands of his party agreed to withdraw from initial draft of the 26th amendment. “If this new legislation is done then no democratic country will give your government protocol of a civilian government”, he said.

He said that JUIF meeting once declared an Act passed by the Parliament with regard evacuee trust properties in Islamabad as against Shariat. “This Act is meant to occupy evacuee trust properties of the Muslims as it is similar to a law in India”, he said.

He said that as the Supreme Court issued a corrected verdict in Mubarak Sani case, it should also make Muslim Family laws according to Shariat. To a question, Maulana Fazalur Rehman said that increase in service tenure of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) as an administrative matter but personally he was not in its favour.

Meanwhile, a central leader of JUIF Hafiz Hamadullah while speaking on a private television channel said that the government did not consult Maulana Fazlur Reham on bills passed by two houses of Parliament on Monday. “The government has deceived us”, he said.