Pakistan ammends terror detention ordinance

Pakistan has amended a controversial ordinance to allow security forces to detain terror suspects for over 90 days without trial.
The changes to the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO), which was passed by President Mamnoon Hussain on October 20, were made through another ordinance yesterday.
The new ordinance has been brought in order to provide a legal cover for those persons who are in detention of the security agencies.
Under the new provisions in the amended law, these persons will not fall in the category of enforced disappearances.
Besides, the ordinance authorised law enforcement agencies to detain a suspect for more than 90 days without trial.

The opposition parties and civil society organisations have already expressed their concern over giving powers to security agencies to detain suspects for 90 days and to open fire on any person on mere suspicion that he might carry out some terrorist activity.

The new ordinance has been brought at a time when the government is struggling to get the original ordinance passed in the parliament.
The original PPO had been signed by President Hussain last year and it was presented in the National Assembly in the form of a bill in November.
The Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (Amended) 2014, was submitted to the Supreme Court yesterday which said it will examine it the light of law.

The government said the amendment was meant to curb terrorism and crimes falling within scheduled offence and to deal with the missing persons cases.