ISLAMABAD, October 30: Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued a detailed verdict defining terrorism.
As per details, a 60 page verdict written by Chief justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khosa says creating terror among the public for religious, political and ideological gains comes under the ambit of terrorism.
It said damage of life and property and spread of religious sectarianism is terrorism. It further said planned attack on journalists and businessmen is terrorism. Looting and inflicting loss to government property is also terrorism.
Attack on law and enforcement agencies is also terrorism. The verdict clarified that killing of someone, extortion and torture due to personnel dispute is not terrorism.
SC recommended the Parliament to redefine the word ‘terrorism’ in line with international perspectives of that offence and focusing on violent activities aimed at achieving political, ideological or religious objectives.
“We may observe that the definition of ‘terrorism’ contained in section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 as it stands at present is too wide and the same includes so many actions, designs and purposes which have no nexus with the generally recognized concept of what terrorism is.”
“Apart from that including some Continued on page 7
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other heinous offences in the Preamble and the Third Schedule to that Act for trial of such offences by an Anti-Terrorism Court when such other offences do not qualify to be included in the definition of terrorism puts an extra and unnecessary burden on such courts and causes delay in trial of actual cases of terrorism,” says the 59-page judgment authored by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa. – DNA