PESHAWAR, Jan 17: Amidst reports of country-wide arrests of over a thousand Islamists, Amnesty International said that the rights of those suspected of religiously motivated violence must not be ignored.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, Amnesty International stated: “Sectarian violence has troubled Pakistanis, particularly those belonging to minorities, for a long time and we have repeatedly called on the government to protect the public from such violence. But in the process, the fundamental rights of members of radical groups must be upheld.”

It is stated that according to interior ministry officials, Islamists were arrested “on suspicion that they could indulge in activities threatening public peace.”

Most were detained under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance which allows for administrative detention of up to three months.

“No one should be detained without charge or trial on mere suspicion,” Amnesty Interna-tional said. “Governments frequently argue that they have to resort to administrative detention as the normal safeguards are too stringent to permit successful prosecution leading to imprisonment on criminal charges. Circumven-ting regular safeguards to hold people in an informal or shadowy criminal justice system is unacceptable. Holding people without charge or trial violates fundamental rights of freedom of the person.”

In recent months, Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed its concern about different aspects of countries’ new legislation as a response to the “terrorist threat” and strongly opposes new legislation that undermines human rights and promotes detention without charge.