Civil Society Demands Withdrawal of Controversial Punjab Bill
Civil society representatives, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders have called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill 2026, warning that the legislation would severely undermine constitutional rights and expand state powers at the expense of civil liberties. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) shared the concerns in a press release on X following a round table discussion the organization hosted.
Key Arguments Against the Bill
Participants argued the proposed law would have a far-reaching and damaging impact on human rights if enacted. HRCP Punjab Vice Chair Raja Ashraf noted that the space for meaningful debate within legislative institutions had steadily diminished, making it increasingly difficult to scrutinize controversial legislation before its passage.
Human rights lawyer Asad Jamal contended that the bill appeared designed to provide legal cover for restricting fundamental freedoms by relying on vague and undefined terms such as "habitual offender" and "anti-social behavior." He expressed particular concern over Section 5, which would allow the provincial government to empower an intelligence committee to register cases against individuals perceived as habitual offenders without adequate oversight or accountability.
Colonial-Era Echoes
Lawyer Ali Javed Darugar described the bill as a modern extension of colonial-era legislation, including the Criminal Tribes Act and the Habitual Offenders Act of 1918, which were historically used to control and stigmatize sections of society. He argued that greater devolution and stronger state accountability were essential to prevent the continuation of such coercive legal frameworks.
Constitutional Violations Alleged
Academic Adnan Sattar said the proposed legislation represented an extreme form of "repressive legality" and urged civil society organizations to adopt pragmatic and coordinated strategies to resist what he described as regressive laws. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sheikh Imtiaz maintained that the bill violated at least 14 provisions of Pakistan's Constitution, including guarantees relating to a fair trial and freedom of movement.
