Amnesty International Urges Halt to Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill 2024
Amnesty International has called on the Pakistani government to suspend its plans to pass the Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill 2024, citing concerns over compliance with international human rights standards, Dawn reported yesterday.
The bill, introduced in the National Assembly, seeks to empower military and civil armed forces to detain individuals facing terrorism charges for up to three months under “preventive detention.”
In an open letter addressed to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, Babu Ram Pant, expressed alarm over the potential for arbitrary detentions. The proposed legislation would allow armed forces, including the military and police, to issue detention orders based on vague criteria related to national security and public order.
Amnesty International emphasized the risks of military involvement in law enforcement, urging that any such actions must be under civilian command and adhere to human rights protocols. The organization criticized the bill’s lack of safeguards and noted that similar laws have previously led to the arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and political opposition figures. The bill’s introduction has been met with criticism for lacking consultation with civil society.
