Balochistan Assembly approves Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Bill.
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly has unanimously passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, allowing armed forces, civil armed forces, and intelligence agencies to detain suspected terrorists for up to three months without presenting them in court.
The Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Bill, 2025 gives powers to state authorities. Under the new law, officials can detain individuals based on suspicion, credible information, or complaints linking them to terrorist activities or threats to provincial security.
The bill introduces a new section of ‘Preventive Detention for Inquiry’ into the existing Anti-Terrorism Act. It permits the provincial government or any notified “detaining authority” to issue detention orders for up to 90 days. This includes the armed forces, civil armed forces, and intelligence agencies, provided the government has authorized them.
Detainees can be held for investigation related to a wide range of offenses. These include attacks on law enforcement, bombings, sabotage of key installations, sectarian killings, ethnic violence, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, and aiding terror outfits.
The law states that such preventive detention must comply with Article 10 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which outlines safeguards for arrested individuals. However, legal experts warn that extended detention without trial could raise serious human rights concerns.
Investigations under this amendment must be led by a police officer of at least Superintendent rank or a Joint Interrogation Team (JIT). The JIT will include officers from various agencies and have powers under the FIA Act of 1974.
This amendment marks a significant development amid ongoing security challenges in the province.
