ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control approved on Monday a draft of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance (ATO) 2013, with some members expressing reservations and writing dissenting notes.

The committee, however, did not approve the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO) 2013 which was termed by some members ‘a black law’ and similar to the Indian law called Protection of Terrorism Act (POTA) 2002.

Under the PPO, no-one can oppose any act of the government and all kinds of demonstrations have been banned, according to critics.

Some members of the committee, including Arif Alvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Nabeel Gabol of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), strongly opposed the PPO 2013 and wrote dissenting notes on the ATO 2013.

“Under the proposed PPO bill presented by the government no-one can raise his/her voice against any act of the government,” said Mr Gabol.

He said that under the PPO no-one could hold a protest rally, even against electricity and gas loadshedding which was contrary to the basic rights enshrined in the constitution.

Mr Gabol said it appeared that members of the committee, especially from the ruling party, were in a hurry to approve the proposed PPO 2013.

After reservations expressed by some opposition members, it was decided that all members of the committee would review the PPO again at the next meeting of the committee.

While the committee headed by MNA Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan was discussing the ATO 2013 and PPO 2013, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is a member of the committee, did not attend the meeting.

“The main objective of discussing the Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013, bill was to take effective measures to protect life and property of the people in the face of increasing acts of terrorism in the country,” the head of the committee said. The absence of the minister was, therefore, strange.

It was not specifically mentioned during the meeting that the ATO had been approved by the committee, but it was nevertheless sent to the National Assembly for debate.

Meanwhile, although the proposed bill has been approved by the committee, several clauses of the ATO 2013 and PPO 2013 seem to be contrary to each other.

“Under the PPO a person can fire on others in self-defence without any warning while under the ATO he has to determine first whether he could be attacked or not,” said Arif Alvi of PTI.

In case of confiscation of property and freezing of bank accounts of those involved in acts of terrorism, the committee was asked for exposing ‘credible source’, but the official of the interior ministry briefing the committee on ATO said the credible source would be financial institutions and agencies.

The committee was apprised that the ATO 2013 had many flaws and, as a result, it has become difficult for the police to collect evidence against the accused.

“According to ATO 2013 more than 10,000 people have been arrested in Sindh only under different charges, but FIRs were registered only against 280 of them,” Mr Alvi said.

JOINT INVESTIGATION TEAM: The committee recommended that a BPS-18 officer should lead the joint investigation team (JIT), while operations of police would be reviewed every month and electronic and other evidence would also be examined by the team.

Some members expressed their reservations over the three-month timeframe given to JIT to investigate cases. They were of the view that it should be curtailed to one month for prompt disposal of cases.

It also approved conferring of special powers of investigation to Rangers especially in Sindh where they are engaged in an operation against outlaws and terrorists.

ELCTRONIC EVIDENCE: It was agreed at the meeting that in many cases of terrorism and crime, electronic evidence was the only option to investigate cases.

In this regard the committee approved a proposal enabling police to become a complainant in extortion cases with special provisions for protection of witnesses (faceless) through video recording.

THREATS: Mr Gabol apprised the committee that the Sindh government had withdrawn Rangers deployed for his security, adding that the latest security alert of the interior ministry disclosed that he and Faisal Sabzwari of the MQM were on the hit-list of terrorists.

“If something happens to him then the federal and provincial governments will be responsible for it,” he said.

On this, committee chairman Shameem Ahmed assured Mr Gabol that he would write a letter to the interior secretary about his security.