The provincial authorities have been given last chance to file comments on a petition seeking removal of the name of alleged Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’s worker from the fourth schedule of the Anti-terrorism Act 1997.
A division bench of the Sindh High Court directed the federal law officer to file comments of the provincial home secretary, IG Sindh, and other respondent authorities by May 12.
The petitioner, Furqan Ahmed Awan, submitted that his name was placed in the fourth schedule under Section 11-EE of the ATA 1997 in 2010; therefore, he could not participate in any political and religious activity.
He said since the placement of his name in fourth schedule, he was ensuring his presence in the police station concerned without fail. According to the Section 11-EE of the ATA 1997, any person’s name cannot be placed in fourth schedule more than three-year period, but despite passage of three years his name was not removed from the fourth schedule, which was violation of the fundamental rights, the petitioner argued.
The court was pleaded to direct the provincial home department to remove his name from the fourth schedule.
