ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday gave his assent to the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for its enforcement as law, according to a statement issued by the Presidency.
The bill (Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill), passed earlier this month by both the National Assembly and the Senate, seeks to strengthen counterterrorism measures while introducing legal safeguards to prevent abuse.
“The law is designed to ensure transparency and accountability in detentions, with a built-in three-year sunset clause to limit its duration,” the statement said, adding that judicial oversight mechanisms would provide recourse against arbitrary actions.
Expanded powers with checks
According to the statement of objects and reasons presented in parliament, the prevailing security situation demanded a “robust response beyond the existing legal framework”.
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The amendment empowers law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to detain individuals suspected of involvement in activities threatening national security or public safety, including target killings, kidnapping for ransom and extortion, for a period of up to three months.
The law also allows preventative detention based on credible information or reasonable suspicion, with the aim of disrupting terrorist plots before execution.
Joint interrogation teams
The amendment further provides legal cover for the establishment of Joint Interrogation Teams (JITs), bringing together personnel from multiple intelligence and law enforcement agencies to conduct coordinated investigations and gather actionable intelligence.
Officials said the provisions were intended to strike a balance between operational effectiveness and legal safeguards, with the sunset clause ensuring that parliament would be required to review the law’s necessity after three years.
