Preplanning: Sindh prepares for PPO

SHC approves empowering five ATCs to conduct trials under controversial ordinance.


Our Correspondent April 17, 2014
“The cases registered under the PPO will be referred to the committee, which will scrutinise them before sending them to the relevant courts,” Sindh prosecutor-general Sher Muhammad Shaikh told The Express Tribune. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The Sindh government has formed a committee to review the cases to be proceeded under the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) even though it opposed the law in the National Assembly.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government on Thursday, the scrutiny committee will work under the supervision of the home secretary, while the law secretary, the legal AIG and the Sindh prosecutor-general will be among its members.

“The cases registered under the PPO will be referred to the committee, which will scrutinise them before sending them to the relevant courts,” Sindh prosecutor-general Sher Muhammad Shaikh told The Express Tribune.

When asked about the courts established to hear the cases registered under the PPO, he said that five anti-terrorism courts (ATC) have been given the authority to hear the cases until further orders.  “ATC judges will hear these cases separately and will ensure that decisions are made on them within a week,” he said.

New ATCs

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has also approved the delegation of special powers to five anti-terrorism courts in the province to hear and decide the cases registered against the suspects under the PPO on the request of the provincial government.

Judicial sources told The Express Tribune on Friday that SHC Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar has given his approval to delegate powers to each anti-terrorism court in the five divisions, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana.

Interestingly, the courts have been empowered to conduct the trials of suspects booked and arrested under the controversial ordinance by the provincial government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party, which is one of the staunch critics of the new law.

A judicial officer privy to the development said, on the condition of anonymity, that the provincial home department had made a request to the chief justice, requesting to establish at least five special courts. “The CJ has approved special powers for the anti-terrorism courts in each division to hear and decide the cases made under the PPO.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2014.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ