The Hindu : Banned outfits' activists set free in Pak.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 06, 2002

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International

Banned outfits' activists set free in Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Dec. 5. Even as a section of the American media has expressed concern over the alleged lax attitude of the Musharraf regime towards the activities of the banned militant outfits, the newly elected Chief Ministers of Baluchistan and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) have released a number of detainees of proscribed outfits.

The release of the activists is one of the major demands of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the alliance of six religious parties which has emerged as the third political force in the October election.

Reports from Quetta, capital of Baluchistan, said that the Chief Minister, Jam Mir Mohammad Yusuf, had ordered release of several leaders and members of the banned outfits on the eve of Id.

The provincial home department issued release orders of 13 persons belonging to the defunct the Sipah-i-Sahaba, the Tehrik Jafria Pakistan, the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad on the directives of the Chief Minister, Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf.

However, 12 persons were released from Quetta, Khuzdar, Zhob and Nushki jails. A leader of Sipah-i-Sahaba, Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman Suni, could not be released, as he is also involved in a murder case. Similarly in the Frontier Province, the Chief Minister, Akram Mohammad Khan Durrani, has ordered release of all prisoners detained on charges of taking to streets in protest against the United States led war in Afghanistan. A statement issued by the Frontier government said that it would not pursue charges against people who demonstrated in support of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime.

In his much-publicised January 12 national address, the President, Pervez Musharraf, had banned five religious and militant outfits and ordered a crackdown on members of these organisations.

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