Pakistan's anti-terrorism law needs to be improved: Yousuf Raza Gilani

Pakistan's anti-terrorism law needs to be improved because thousands of terrorists apprehended by law enforcement agencies were bailed out in courts and again indulged in terrorist activities, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today.

Gilani made the remarks while speaking in the national assembly or lower house of Parliament on reports by the foreign media on Pakistan's security agencies.

He made it clear that terrorists nabbed by security agencies were bailed out because there had been no improvements in the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"I don't want to blame the judiciary, but if laws are not effective, naturally they'll be bailed out," he said.

Parliament should make effective laws so that "terrorists get no relief" and there should be "zero tolerance" for people who are out to destroy the country and are attacking innocent people, he said.

Gilani contended that the foreign media is trying to malign law enforcement agencies by raising the issue of human rights violations.

He said the security agencies have no need to violate human rights.

"If our agencies have to violate human rights, then they would have asked us in meetings to make the anti-terrorists law ineffective," he said.

Instead, he noted, the terrorists have killed thousands of innocent people and personnel of security agencies.

Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance but the foreign media has tried to portray a wrong image of the religion and Pakistan, Gilani said.