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NDTV
11 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Pakistan's Controversial Detention Law In Balochistan, What It Means
New Delhi: The Balochistan Assembly, on June 4, passed the Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025, a new law that gives sweeping powers to security forces operating in the province. The legislation has been met with strong criticism from rights groups, legal experts, and civil society, who warn it could further fuel repression and unrest in the region. What Does The Law Say? The legislation allows military and intelligence agencies, including the Pakistan Army and ISI, to detain individuals for up to 90 days without filing any formal charges or presenting them in court. This can be done purely on the basis of suspicion, with no requirement for judicial oversight. Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), composed of police and intelligence operatives, have been handed expanded authority to issue detention orders, conduct ideological profiling, and carry out searches and seizures without prior judicial approval. Military personnel will now also have a formal role in civilian oversight panels. Why Is It controversial? Critics warn the law blurs the line between civil policing and military operations, paving the way for mass surveillance and state repression, particularly targeting the ethnic Baloch population. Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and local watchdogs, have slammed the legislation, calling it a clear violation of constitutional protections and international law, particularly Article 10 of Pakistan's Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Baloch Context Enforced disappearances have haunted Balochistan for decades. Numerous families continue to search for missing loved ones, some unaccounted for after 15 to 20 years, allegedly abducted by state forces. Activists argue that this new law effectively legitimises these practices, turning Balochistan into what they describe as a "legalised detention zone." The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a civil rights group, issued a sharp statement against the law, calling it a step toward the militarisation of civilian life. "Such provisions constitute a grave violation of fundamental rights, including personal liberty, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention," the BYC said. "This echoes the collective punishment tactics seen in some of the darkest chapters of modern history, including Nazi concentration camps and the internment of Uyghur Muslims in China," the group added. What The Pakistan Government Says The government has defended the law, arguing that it is necessary to strengthen counter-terrorism operations. A provincial spokesperson stated that the bill targets only those involved in anti-state activities and that law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear. The law comes at a time of heightened tensions in Balochistan, where separatist insurgency, political alienation, and military crackdowns have fuelled long-standing unrest.
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First Post
12 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistan gets law to arrest Baloch citizens for 90 days only on suspicion
The Pakistani-administered Balochistan Assembly passed a law that allows security forces to detain Baloch civilians for 90 days without any judicial recourse. Activists compare it to laws in Nazi Germany. read more Earlier this week, the Balochistan Assembly passed the Counter-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2025, prompting a widespread alarm among human rights groups and Baloch civil society . What makes the law controversial is the fact that it allows Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies to detain individuals, especially Baloch civilians, for up to 90 days without charge. The authorities are allowed to detain them solely on suspicion. Shortly after the law was passed in the Balochistan Assembly, legal experts and human rights activists warned that the legislation bypasses judicial safeguards and effectively legalises the atrocities and practices already being committed by the Pakistani security forces in the shadows. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under the Act, Pakistan's Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) can now operate with expanded powers. They can issue detention orders and conduct ideological profiling of the suspects. Not only this, but military officials will now be sitting on the oversight panel, eroding civilians' control over law enforcement. Why is it concerning? Apart from this, law enforcement agencies are also granted increased authority to search, arrest and seize property without any form of prior judicial approval. With these provisions, activists are now arguing that the law paves the way for widespread abuse and mass surveillance. It is pertinent to note that enforced disappearances have been a persistent issue in Balochistan, where families have waited for decades to get any information about their loved ones. The Baloch activists insisted that the new law effectively codifies these practices, placing entire communities under constant fear of state violence. 'This Act transforms Balochistan into a legalised detention zone,' the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) said in a statement after the legislation passed. The group condemned the legislation, calling it a step towards full militarisation of civilian lives. Not only this, the group compared the tactics authorised by the Act to those used in Nazi Germany and the modern-day Xinjiang region . What makes it more concerning is the fact that the law violates Article 10 of Pakistan's Constitution, as well as Pakistan's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). In its statement, BYC called on the United Nations, international human rights organisations, and global civil society to intervene and pressure Islamabad to repeal the law. 'Silence now is complicity,' the group averred. With inputs from ANI.
