The Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad, Pakistan, June 20, 2022.
(New York) – The Punjab provincial assembly in Pakistan on August 31, 2026, passed a bill that would threaten the right to a fair trial in counterterrorism proceedings, Human Rights Watch said today. The provincial governor should return the bill to the assembly, which should develop rights-respecting protections for such proceedings, subject to independent oversight.
The Anti-Terrorism (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2026 authorizes unspecified government officials to designate “special security cases” in which the identities of judges, prosecutors, police officers, witnesses, and defense lawyers could be withheld from defendants. The proposed law, which amends the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act, would allow identifying witnesses by codes and holding proceedings at secret locations or through video links, including from prisons.
“Protecting witnesses and court officials from possible harm is essential, but it’s no excuse to deprive defendants of their right to a fair trial,” said Patrica Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Punjab and other provincial assemblies in Pakistan should ensure that all their criminal laws, including counterterrorism legislation, meet international due process standards.”
Human rights groups and political opposition leaders have raised concerns that the secrecy surrounding trial proceedings could impair defendants’ access to evidence needed for an effective appeal, and that the proposed law’s insufficiently defined authority could be used against political opponents, peaceful protesters, and other people.
The Punjab government has defended the legislation as necessary to combat militant groups, citing inadequate witness protection and security as obstacles to prosecutions. Militant groups have carried out hundreds of attacks across Pakistan in r
