ISLAMABAD: Against the backdrop of conflicting opinions on the setting up of military courts, a Supreme Court judge emphasised on Saturday the need for understanding the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, because, according to him, it has the capacity to combat the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa urged key players in the administration of criminal justice system to meticulously read and examine the special law of ATA for its effective application in order to help bring perpetrators of terrorist acts to justice.

Justice Isa was speaking as chief guest at a certificate awarding ceremony upon the conclusion of a training session at trainers’ workshop for judges, prosecutors and investigators on the ‘Global Legal Framework against Terrorism and Relevant Criminal Measures’ at the Federal Judicial Academy, Islamabad.

“Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, is a special law and it provides such tools to judges of anti-terrorism courts, prosecutors and investigators which are not available with the ordinary players of justice system,” he observed. These special tools were often overlooked by the judges, prosecutors and investigators, he added.

Justice Isa said the ATA was loud and clear in discouraging the media not to propagate the ideas of banned organisations. The question that arose, he added, was how many judges of the anti-terrorism courts had applied the relevant sections of this special law.

Stopping propagation of particular extremist or terrorist ideas was very important to combat terrorism in the country, he said.

“The laws and the constitution are the will of the people and need to be respected, judges only interpret the laws.”

Justice Isa cited verses from Surah Mai’da and Surah Nisa, which emphasised the sanctity of human life in Islam. These verses carry an unequivocal condemnation of, and painful punishment for, terrorism and suicide bombing.

“Unfortunately terrorism nowadays is associated with Islam, although even the Islamic greeting, ‘Assalamo Alaikum’, means ‘Peace be unto you’ and its reply, ‘Walaikum Assalam’, means ‘Peace also be unto you’”, the judge said.

“This powerful message of our religion has been corrupted.”

“Intellectual terrorism” was more dangerous because “as you sow, so shall you reap”, the judge said.

Speaking on the occasion, a representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, Cesar Guedes, said the scourge of terrorism continued to pose a threat to global peace and had caused a colossal loss to different countries and also undermined the socio-economic development.

He said elimination of terrorism and building of peace was essential for a peaceful world and socio-economic development in it.

Published in Dawn January 25th , 2015

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