Orders for ATCs fall on stony ground

LAHORE
The Punjab government has failed to shift four anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) from Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala to other districts despite four month old orders from the home department, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The home department had issued a notification on July 26, directing the Punjab government to shift ATCs to other districts where the courts did not exist and registration of cases under anti-terrorism clauses were on the rise.
According to the notification, ATC number III and IV from Lahore, ATC number II from Multan and ATC number II from Gujranwala along with their staff be shifted on a temporary basis to Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, DG Khan and Rawalpindi respectively, where new ATCs be established.
According to sources, the number of under trial cases in Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala were gradually decreasing especially in the provincial capital, where now only 40 cases were pending in four courts. On the other hand, registration of cases in Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, DG Khan and Rawalpindi were increasing due to which the authorities decided to establish new ATCs in these cities.
Along with other provinces, 14 ATCs had been established in Punjab according to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The main purpose for establishing the courts was to control sectarian violence throughout the country. After their establishment, the ATCs heard cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
After a decrease in sectarianism, the law enforcement agencies started sending gang rape and dacoity cases to these courts while ransom for kidnapping cases were also sent to the courts.
Police also started booking people under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and produced politicians, students and other citizens in ATCs. Proceeding on cases not related to terrorism overburdened the courts, which were only supposed to hear terrorism-related cases.
A former ATC prosecutor, seeking anonymity, told Pakistan Today that if the law enforcement agencies refrained from excessively using Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, there would be no need to establish new ATCs.
He said that the present number of courts was sufficient to hear terrorism-related cases, as less number of terror suspects were being produced in courts.