ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ruled that attacks on police or law enforcement officers while performing their official duties, even if arising from personal disputes, constitute acts of terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
The verdict was delivered by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim in the case of Riaz Hussain vs. The State.
Riaz Hussain had been convicted for killing Abdul Wahab Chandio in 2016 while he was in police custody, and for shooting and injuring two constables, Muhammad Ayub and Zahid Ali, at Sub Jail Warah in District Qambar Shahdadkot. While the Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced him to life imprisonment and the Sindh High Court upheld the conviction, Hussain appealed to the Supreme Court claiming the act was a private feud and not terrorism.
The apex court rejected the appeal, clarifying that the attack targeted state officials in the line of duty, making it an assault on public institutions. The judgment emphasized that any act intended to intimidate, harm, or obstruct law enforcement officers qualifies as terrorism, even if motivated by personal enmity.
The court referenced previous rulings, including PLD 2020 SC 61 (Ghulam Hussain vs. The State), noting that while personal disputes alone do not constitute terrorism, harming state officials under such circumstances falls squarely under anti-terrorism provisions.
The ruling underscores the Supreme Court’s stance that the protection of law enforcement officers performing their duties is of paramount importance, and any violence against them will attract stringent anti-terrorism penalties.
