SC declares PakTurk Education Foundation ‘terrorist organisation’

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday declared the PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation a "terrorist organisation" in the light of the decisions of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Asian Parliamentary Assembly.

A three-member bench of the apex court announced the verdict, comprising 15 pages and written by Justice Ijazul Ahsan. The court had conducted the hearing of the case on December 13.

It said the PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation is declared a terrorist organisation in the light of the decisions of OIC and Asian Parliamentary Assembly, noting that Turkey has also declared the aforementioned organisation a terrorist group.

The PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation was established in 1990 and 28 schools of the foundation in Pakistan kept functioning with the cooperation of Turkish government, the verdict read.

It said the CAG Education Company was involved in the botched coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016. The apex court noted that the OIC, in its 43rd meeting in Tashkent, had declared the Gulen Movement a terrorist organisation. The verdict stated that Gulen Movement was the parent organisation of the PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation.

It said that Pakistan has brotherly relations with Turkey and it is bound to comply with international diplomatic agreements. The apex court urged the federal government to declare Fethullah Gulen and other organisations proscribed.

It directed the authorities to transfer all assets of PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation to Turkey's Maarif Foundation. The administration of 28 schools functioning in Pakistan under the PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation should be rearranged in the light of bilateral agreements between Pakistan and Turkey, the court ordered.

The Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Interior to take action against the PakTurk International Cag Education Foundation under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), freeze all its accounts, and arrange for transfer of these accounts to Turkey Maarif Foundation.

The court directed the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to cancel registration of the foundation. It is in the interest of Pakistan that a terrorist organisation does not function in the country, the verdict added.