November 18, 2002	Monday	Ramazan 12, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The government has amended an anti-terror law allowing the police to detain a suspect for up to a year without any charges.

The term of detention had previously been a month, lawyers said.

The law also enables the police to probe assets and bank accounts of the families of suspects, including parents, wives and children. However, a person has a right to appeal his detention.

The amendment ordinance, which was issued overnight and took effect immediately, drew strong criticism from a human rights activist.

“This is totally unjustified. Draconian laws such as these do not solve the problem of either militancy or terrorism,” Kamila Hyat, the joint director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Reuters from Lahore. “They only increase the feeling of injustice and victimization,” she added.

Ms Hyat said a number of detentions had already worried the HRCP, including that of Dr Amir Aziz on suspicion of links with Al Qaeda. “Dr Amir Aziz’s detention is particularly worrisome because we still don’t know where he is,” she said.

The HRCP official said the government needed to focus on more than just law enforcement to curb terrorism. “They must address the root cause which breeds both militancy or terrorism. They must ensure people have access to better education, more employment opportunities and social justice.”

A human rights activist told Reuters by telephone from Peshawar the law was seriously flawed because it gave authorities sweeping powers to detain a person without a court’s permission. “It is very dangerous. All human rights activists oppose this ordinance,” Mohammad Tariq said.—Reuters