LAHORE: All cases lying pending in special courts set up under now defunct Protection of Pakistan Act (PoPA) have been transferred to anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) with immediate effect.

A circular to this effect was dispatched on Tuesday to the federal government and ATCs at Lahore and Rawalpindi by the Lahore High Court chief justice.

Promulgated in July 2014 with a sunset clause of two years, the Protection of Pakistan Act (PoPA) lapsed on July 15 this year as the government remained undecided over reviving the law, which mainly dealt with terrorism-related offences.

Some 30 or so cases were lying pending in special courts set up under the law when it lapsed.

The offences under PoPA include crimes against ethnic, religious and political groups; suicide bomb attacks; killing, kidnapping, extortion or attacks on members of the parliament, the judiciary, executive, media, armed forces and aid workers.

Attacks on energy facilities, including grid stations and gas pipelines, airports, educational institutions and mass transport system besides violence against foreign nationals were also fell under PoPA.

The Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 covers some of the scheduled offences that fell under PoPA.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2016

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