ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has given assent to the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to improve counter-terrorism efforts while ensuring legal oversight and safeguards.
With the presidential approval, the bill has now become an Act of the Parliament. This law strengthens the ability of security agencies to prevent terrorism and protect national security, according to a statement from the President House. This is an important step in addressing Pakistan’s ongoing security challenges.
The law is designed to ensure transparency and accountability in detentions, with a built-in three-year sunset clause to limit its duration. It includes judicial oversight and safeguards to provide recourse against misuse and abuse of power, unlike past arbitrary practices.
In the meanwhile, the amendments have been made to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and were approved earlier in August by both the National Assembly and the Senate.
The Act restores the powers allowing law enforcement agencies and the armed forces to detain any person for up to three months. According to the bill, Amendment of section 11EEEE, Act XXVII of 1997. In the said Act, in section (a) for sub-section (1), the following shall be substituted, namely;- “(1) The Government or, where the provisions of section 4 have been invoked, the armed forces or civil armed forces, as the case may be, subject to the specific or general order of the Government in this regard, for a period not exceeding three months and after recording reasons thereof, issue order for the preventative detention of any person who has been concerned in any offence under this Act relating to the security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, or public order relating to target killing, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion, bhatta, or the maintenance of supplies or services, or against whom sufficient grounds exist of his having been so concerned, for purpose of inquiry: Provided that the detention of such person, including detention for a further period after three months, shall be subject to the provision of Article 10 of the Constitution.”; b) in sub-section (2), for the proviso, the following shall be substituted, namely:- “Provided that where the detention order has been issued by the armed forces or civil armed forces under sub-section (1), the inquiry shall be conducted by the JIT comprising of a police officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police, Intelligence agencies, civil armed forces, armed forces, and other law enforcing agencies.”; and (c) for sub-section (2A), the following shall be substituted, namely: - “(2A) The provisions of sub-sections (1) and (2) shall remain in force for a period of three years from the commencement of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Act, 2025 (of 2025).”. the government, the armed forces, and the civil armed forces will have the authority to detain any person for up to three months on suspicion of involvement in activities against national security, or in crimes such as targeted killings, extortion, or kidnapping for ransom.
This detention will be subject to the constitutional guarantees related to arrest and detention under Article 10 of the Constitution. If the detention order is issued by the military or civil armed forces, investigations will be conducted by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprising police, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement bodies.
The objectives of the bill state that the prevailing security situation in the country requires a “strong and effective response” that goes beyond the existing legal framework.
Under this amendment, the government, the armed forces, and the civil armed forces will have the legal authority to hold suspects in preventive detention in order to thwart terrorist plots before they are executed. Furthermore, through Joint Investigation Teams, coordinated action and effective intelligence sharing between various institutions will be made possible.