ATA Sections restored in Kasur case

LAHORE

A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday allowed an appeal of Punjab prosecution department and restored provisions of anti-terrorism law earlier deleted from cases registered against the suspects of Kasur child abuse scandal.

An anti-terrorism court holding trial of the suspects admitted their petitions and removed the sections of Anti-Terrorism Act from the FIRs and sent the trial to the court of ordinary jurisdiction. The prosecution department challenged the decision before the high court. 

Deputy Prosecutor General Khurram Khan told the two-judge bench that the incidents of child abuse not only tarnished the image of Pakistan in world but ruined the lives of the victims and their families. He said the incidents also caused a great sense of fear in whole district. The prosecutor argued that the suspects were also charged for “kidnapping for ransom” and the offence attracted provisions of anti-terrorism law. He asked the bench to set aside the impugned decision of the trial court and reinstate the deleted sections of the ATA in the cases. Counsel of the suspects opposed the appeal and defended the trial court’s decision.