Punjab's 'Anti-Social' bill sparks fears of eroding civil liberties

Civil society, lawyers, and rights defenders in Pakistan demand withdrawal of the Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders Bill 2026. They warn it undermines constitutional rights, expands state power, and echoes repressive colonial-era legislation.

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.

In a press release shared on X, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stated that the concerns were raised during a round table discussion organised by HRCP, where participants argued that the proposed law would have a far-reaching and damaging impact on human rights if enacted.

Legal and Constitutional Objections Raised

Speaking at the event, HRCP Punjab Vice Chair Raja Ashraf said the space for meaningful debate within legislative institutions had steadily diminished, making it increasingly difficult to scrutinise controversial legislation before its passage.

Human rights lawyer Asad Jamal argued 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 behaviour." He expressed particular concern over Section 5 of the proposed legislation, 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.

Echoes of Colonial-Era Legislation

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 stigmatise sections of society. He argued that greater devolution and stronger state accountability were essential to prevent the continuation of such coercive legal frameworks.

Academic Adnan Sattar said the proposed legislation represented an extreme form of "repressive legality" and urged civil society organisations 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. (ANI)

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