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Govt brings new law to 'protect' Pakistan
 [Pak Daily Times] President Mamnoon Hussain Sunday promulgated the Protection of Pakistain Ordinance, which maintains that the writ of the state would be established at all costs.The ordinance states that the security and law enforcement agencies would jointly investigate the incidents of terrorism, and the elements creating terror and fear would be considered as enemies of the state. The draft of the ordinance states that Pakistain and its people had been exposed to undeclared and thankless wars that proliferated from the country's neighbourhood since 1979. It says that "the elements hostile to our existence, in collaboration with unscrupulous locals, have since claimed the lives of 40,000 people of all ages and religious denominations in the second campaign that began in 2001; many more were maimed, disabled or uprooted. Over three decade long presence of many million aliens on our soil generated its own social complexities. The people and its valiant forces have rendered unprecedented sacrifices: Over 4,000 soldiers and officers bit the dust to ensure that world on the lam remains at peace during the last 11 years alone. As a direct consequence, our economy and its production systems suffered enormously". The ordinance reads that a colossal damage of over $100 billion was inflicted to the social and physical infrastructure if the country. As unproductive expenses multiplies, for bare minimum subsistence and sustenance, additional loans of over $50 billion were added during the period, besides $8 billion/annum for debt servicing. The ordinance notes that the increasing reliance on imports has further squeezed and strained public books and private pockets. Moreover, non-availability of adequate employment opportunities encourages resort to easy coping mechanisms, unearned easy money via crime that pays instantly. The twin issues of unemployment and rising population are compounded by individual and syndicated crime extensively spreading in settled urban areas exposed to depredation or "Kharaba". "Unfortunately, no serious attempt was made partly due to paucity of resources; lack of vision and political will, sense of insecurity and mistrust in the people's wisdom took its own claim at the cost of the nation suffering unprecedented inequality of income and opportunities," the ordinance states. It further said that as state organs and judiciary faced legitimacy issues resurrected during most part of last 36 years, phased democratic transition in post-2009 era posed adjustment issues in the wake of eroded capacity of the executive branch as well. "The PML-N government, its allies and all democratic forces are cognisant of the historical responsibility to pull out the state and people out of the prevailing gloom and despair. To restore sense of security, through resort to all legal instruments, institutions and deployment of resources has been the top priority of national leadership in all branches, be that elected or permanent, is more than determined to move forward to minimise losses, explore productive potential of the nation by creating enabling environment for revival of faith in our ability to rise above our transient differences to restore our investment climate." The ordinance reads that the extraordinary disposition dictates unusual dispensation. "New legislative initiatives have been proposed in line with international best practices, to declare that: The constitution and rule of law shall be our overarching umbrella. Security of life, property and dignified living of our own people shall be the prime goal for all functionaries of the state. All civil and military law enforcement agencies including CAF and their personnel where invited shall be given fullest protection of law to discharge their mission of restoration of peace in enabling environment within the parameters of Part V of the Constitution." Moreover, it states, every possible state instrument and resource will be deployed to defeat and frustrate all or any nefarious attempt to create disorder in our peaceful life and living. Writ of the state shall be restored with full might of the law; those to pursue fruit of terror and fear, regardless of nationality, colour, creed or religion shall be treated as enemy aliens and dealt with strictly without any compunction. The ordinance says that "the cancer of syndicated crime in all its forms and manifestations shall be responded by proportionate use of state force under the law". Posted by: Fred 2013-10-21 |
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