The federal government has introduced amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, empowering authorities to arrest and detain individuals under suspicion for up to three months.
Proposed by Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, the amendment was sent to the relevant parliamentary committee by the National Assembly on Friday.
“The current security climate necessitates a response that surpasses the current legal scope,” states the bill’s Statement of Objectives.
The amendment targets Section 11EEEE of the Act, aiming to permit ‘preventive detention’ of individuals suspected of offenses against Pakistan’s security or defense.
Arrests must be documented, and any extension will be subject to Article 10 of the Constitution.
Those detained will be investigated by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) led by an officer of at least Superintendent (SP) rank.
While credible information is the basis for arrests, the amendment also allows for detention based on reasonable suspicion.
The Act identifies target killing, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and disruption of supplies and services as punishable offenses.
“This measure enables the preventive detention of suspects based on credible intelligence or reasonable suspicion, helping to thwart terrorist activities in advance and granting law enforcement greater legal support for effective counter-terrorism operations,” the bill states.
