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Pak. amnesty for arrested militants
By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MARCH 8. Pakistan has announced a general amnesty for the arrested activists of five banned militant outfits against whom no criminal charges are pending.

Participating in a live Radio Forum broadcast, the Pakistan Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, said the amnesty would be applicable to those activists of banned religious or political groups who were ready to give a written undertaking saying they would not associate themselves with the groups.

``The Government will not take any further action against those activists of the banned groups who were arrested but had no criminal charges or FIR registered against them.'' The provinces were preparing lists of such activists and they would be released soon.

The decision should be seen against the backdrop of the Government's difficulties in proceeding against the activists.

Ever since the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, made his January 12 speech making clear his Government's intention of cracking down on the terrorists, the Pakistani authorities have picked up over 2000 activists belonging to various religious and militant outfits.

However, they have been finding it difficult to sustain the arrests. In the last few weeks, the courts in different provinces have let off some activists on the ground that the establishment has not been able to provide concrete proof against them.

Last week, the Lahore High Court directed the Punjab provincial Government to produce the relevant records of all the militants detained.

Warning those who were behind acts of sectarian violence, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Haider said no effort would be spared to restore the supremacy of law. ``We will continue our jehad (holy war) against such elements,'' he said

Referring to the killing of The Wall Street Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl, the Minister said investigations were on and those responsible were yet to be arrested. He admitted that the Pakistani police did not have the requisite expertise to deal with cyber crime, which had been unearthed only after the kidnapping of the journalist.

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