New PPO amendment adds to federal power

ISLAMABAD: The government has amended the controversial Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) 2014 giving more power to the elbow of centre, Samaa reported.

Everything regarding ‘provincial governments’ authorities’ has been struck off from the draft law under the new amendment, sources said.

Another alarming development is that only federal government will be authorized to amend the said law henceforth.

After the amendment, anyone will be deemed as a foreigner if (s)he fails to prove citizenship of Pakistan.

The PPO, if passed with this new amendment, will allow the law enforcement agencies to ‘shoot to kill’ the ‘suspects’ as a last option and only the head of that agency will be authorized to form a committee to investigate into such killing.

As soon as it passes Senate the new law would be effective for three years down the line.

The government is facing a battle to enact a tough anti-terror law that rights activists and opposition parties have attacked as repressive.

The Protection of Pakistan Ordinance allows security forces to detain suspects for up to 90 days without disclosing their whereabouts or the allegations against them.

Anyone arrested under the new law must prove their innocence — reversing the usual legal burden of proof — and satisfy courts they are not engaged in terror activities.