Egypt's NSF condemns public prosecutor's ruling

Egyptian opposition group National Salvation Front (NSF) has expressed concern at a ruling issued by the country's public prosecutor calling on the police to grant civilians the power of citizen's arrest. In a press statement, NSF described the plans as "a serious threat to the Egyptian community," and declared fears that the move could pave the way for government-loyal militias to appear on the streets of Egypt. "It is clear that the authorities are trying to fuel confrontations between the security forces and the people, instead of looking at political, economic and social solutions to the problem," the statement said. The Front urged the Egyptian police force to continue in its national duty and ignore the wishes of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood regime, which aims to control the various organs of the state. Earlier, NSF representative Mohammed al-Orabi said transfer of powers to the public would only heighten tensions on Egypt’s streets, leading to an increase in the violence.