Center asked to create fifth schedule of ATA to monitor errant seminaries, says IGP

Inspector General of Police A.D. Khowaja has said that the Sindh government has, on the recommendation of police, asked the federal government to put in the fifth or sixth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) all the seminaries involved in promoting terrorism.

Inspector General of Police A.D. Khowaja has said that the Sindh government has, on the recommendation of police, asked the federal government to put in the fifth or sixth schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) all the seminaries involved in promoting terrorism.

He said the Sindh government had, for the first time, taken up the matter with the federal government, which would have to formulate a new provision in the ATA, 1997 in order to monitor seminaries since the law had only four schedules.

He also said that “ATA has a provision for the fourth schedule only which deals with the individuals involved in terrorist activities. Provision for fifth or sixth schedule is needed to regularly monitor the institutions and seminaries which are promoting terrorism or are involved in it.”