ISLAMABAD, August 14: Pakistan’s National Assembly has passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024, reintroducing preventive detention powers that allow military and civil armed forces to hold individuals suspected of terrorism for up to three months.
The bill, presented by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry, was approved after clause-by-clause readings, with 125 lawmakers voting in favor and 59 against. An amendment from the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Naveed Qamar was accepted, while changes proposed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) lawmaker Aliya Kamran were rejected.
The amendment revives Section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), originally introduced in 2014 after the Peshawar Army Public School massacre but allowed to lapse in 2016. Under the restored provision, authorities can detain individuals based on “credible information or reasonable suspicion” to prevent terrorist activities.
The law also authorizes the formation of Joint Interrogation Teams (JITs) comprising police, intelligence, and military officials to investigate detainees and collect operational intelligence. A new provision ensures these powers will remain in effect for three years from the enactment of the bill.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar defended the move, saying safeguards were built in, including the requirement that detainees be presented before a magistrate within 24 hours. “There are solid reasons for arrest… and this clause will only be enforceable for a specific period,” he said.
However, opposition leaders voiced strong criticism. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the bill was a repeat of earlier legislation that infringes on “fundamental human rights.”
Supporters argue the measure strengthens Pakistan’s counterterrorism framework in response to a volatile security environment, while critics warn it risks enabling abuse and undermining constitutional protections.