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Over 800 militants, 'arrested following' the ban on five jihadi groups imposed by President Pervez Musharraf on January 12, have been released under the newly formulated conditional amnesty after the detainees signed an undertaking, promising not take part in extremist activities.
“Yes, the government has released those jailed activists of the five banned jihadi organisations on giving an undertaking that they would not take part in any extremist activity at least in the next couple of years,” an official told Pakistan news agency NNI, adding that every one of them was released only after inking the bond.
The unnamed official said that the conditional amnesty would not be applicable to the leaders of the outfits. He said the leaders have not been offered any release package.
“They would be brought to justice after they are formally charged before courts,” he said.
The released activists 'belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Sipah-e-Sehaba of Pakistan, (SSP), Sipah-e-Mohammad and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, he said.
Of the five outfits, Jaish and 'Lashkar were blamed by New Delhi for various terrorists attacks, including the one on December 13 on parliament in India.
The conditional amnesty was announced after the police officials said that several persons who were not very actively connected with the outfits were taken into custody in the crackdown. Some of the arrested men also went to courts questioning their detention.
Meanwhile, President Pervez Musharraf has convened a meeting of the Pakistan army's influential corps commanders tomorrow, amid speculation that he might unveil his strategy to 'continue in power beyond the general elections scheduled to take place in October this year, media reports here said today.
Musharraf, who returned from a four-day
trip to Japan on Friday, has called for the meeting of corps commanders
at the army headquarters tomorrow to review national security and a host
of other issues, including Indo-Pak tension.
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