Qadri says anti-terrorism courts should be replaced by military courts

Pakistani Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Saturday said all anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) should be abolished and military courts should be established to hear terrorism cases and convict terrorists.

“All the civilian institutions and departments dealing with terrorism should be brought under the control of army as the civilian government does not have the capacity to deal with terrorism,” Qadri said while addressing a press conference from Houston, US, through video-link at PAT Model Town Secretariat.

The PAT chief said the military courts dealing with terrorism should decide a case within seven days and a further seven more days should be given for the final appeal.

“A unanimous resolution should be adopted by a joint session of the parliament declaring national war against terrorism as our own war and people should be given ownership of this war to end terrorism,” Qadri said, adding that the past governments have been sincere in eliminating terrorism and that all parties, groups and personalities who have been propagating radicalism should be banned.

“The funding from abroad to the religious or political parties should be banned. I request army to take note of it as the civil government has its own interests in this regard,” he claimed.

Qadri said that a board of international-stature clerics should be constituted to review the curriculum of religious seminaries. He said both religious and secular radicalism should be eliminated.