ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024 on Wednesday, granting the armed forces and civil armed forces the authority to hold any person in protective custody for up to three months.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq chaired the session in which the National Assembly passed the bill amending Section 11-EE of the Anti-Terrorism Act with 125 votes in favor and 45 against. Opposition members from JUI-F and PTI strongly opposed the legislation, calling it a “black law,” and protested with slogans inside the assembly.
Key Points of the Bill:
- Armed forces or civil armed forces can detain any person for up to three months in cases involving national security, defense, law and order, kidnapping for ransom, or target killing.
- The detention period can be extended beyond three months under Article 10.
- A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) — including an SP-ranked police officer, intelligence officials, armed forces, and other law enforcement agencies — will investigate the detainee.
- Previously, a High Court judges’ review board approved detention extensions; now, the JIT will have the authority to do so.
Government’s Position:
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry defended the bill, saying Pakistan faces a security situation similar to 2012, with four major security officers killed in the past month. He stressed the need to strengthen the forces’ hands.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar supported amendments from PPP’s Naveed Qamar, which replaced terms like “reasonable complaint,” “credible information,” and “reasonable suspicion” with “solid evidence” to ensure fairness.
Opposition’s Concerns:
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman warned that such laws treat every citizen as a criminal by default, shifting the burden of proof onto them. He cautioned against using past controversial laws as precedent.
Despite opposition protests, the National Assembly passed the bill, giving security forces broader powers to detain suspects in the name of national security.
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