Gilani calls for revisiting Pakistan’s ‘ineffective’ anti-terror laws

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has called on Parliament to revisit the country’s anti-terror laws.

Addressing the National Assembly on Friday, Gilani said ineffective anti-terror laws were making it easy for suspects to get bail from courts.

Nabbed terrorists resumed their activities immediately after getting bail from courts, he added.

“I don’t want to allege the judiciary for the release of terror suspects,” The Nation quoted Gilani, as saying.

He subsequently called on Parliament to outline effective anti-terror laws that could prevent terror suspects from getting relief.

“Islam is a religion of peace and does not allow violence; it’s a wrong notion being attached to Islam”, Gilani asserted.

Pakistan”s outdated criminal justice system, coupled with its financial constraints in training police or buying the forensic equipment needed to adequately investigate and prosecute terrorism cases, is resulting in a rising tide of acquittals of terrorists.

In many cases, key witnesses in terrorism cases do not even show up in court, fearing retribution from militant groups, as Pakistan lacks any kind of protection program to safeguard witnesses in terrorism cases. (ANI)