Pakistan Senate Passes Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill Amid Opposition Walkout

On August 19, 2025, Pakistan's Senate passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening national security by enhancing detention powers for law enforcement and armed forces against terrorism threats. The bill reinstates Section 11EEEE, allowing preventive detention based on credible information or reasonable suspicion, and supports Joint Interrogation Teams to gather intelligence, with a three-year sunset clause to ensure periodic review. The legislation faced fierce opposition from parties like PTI and JUI-F, who criticized it for potentially violating constitutional rights, lacking committee scrutiny, and risking abuse of power by allowing detention without immediate court access. Supporters, including the Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, defended the bill as constitutional and necessary for combating terrorism, emphasizing that detainees retain legal counsel rights and the law has passed judicial scrutiny. The opposition staged protests and walkouts after their proposed amendments, such as referral to the Council of Islamic Ideology, were rejected. The Senate also passed related bills to strengthen infrastructure and energy regulations amid the contentious session.