ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party on Wednesday rejected the new ordinance that gave extraordinary powers to law-enforcement agencies to curb terrorism, and termed it “an assault on the fundamental rights” of citizens.

“The ordinance in its present form is not acceptable,” said PPP’s Parliamentary Leader in the Senate Raza Rabbani while talking to reporters.

Answering a question, Mr Rabbani, however, said the PPP had no plan to challenge the ordinance in a court of law. He said the party would oppose it when the government brought it to parliament in the form of a bill. He explained that any matter that could be settled politically and in parliament should not be challenged in the court.

The government on Sunday promulgated the Pakistan Protection Ordinance 2013 which it said was aimed at strengthening the hands of law-enforcement agencies against terrorists and ensuring speedy disposal of cases by the courts.

Under the law, anyone found guilty of resisting enforcement of any law or legal process will have to spend 10 years behind bars. The law proposes setting up of special courts and safe houses to detain hardened criminals.

Under the ordinance, personnel of law-enforcement agencies will be able to enter and search any premises without warrants and the arrested suspects will not be entitled to bail.

“The law is a direct assault on the fundamental rights of the citizens as enshrined in the constitution,” Mr Rabbani said, questioning the logic behind the government’s act of doing legislation through ordinances in presence of an elected parliament.

“This is a very important law and it should have been brought through the parliament.”