Law would let Punjab probe suspects without accountability, activists warn

Islamabad, July 10 — Activists, prosecutors and journalists gathered in Islamabad to warn that Punjab’s proposed Habitual Offenders Bill would give the provincial government unchecked powers to investigate and prosecute individuals labelled as "habitual offenders".

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) lawyer Asad Jamal stressed that the bill’s vague terminology enables the state to sideline basic freedoms, pointing to clause‑5 which authorises an intelligence committee to designate any person a habitual criminal and file a case without any external accountability.

Academic Adnan Sattar described the draft as an extreme form of "authoritarian legitimacy" and appealed to civil‑society organisations to mount a practical, coordinated resistance. HRCP Punjab vice‑chair Raja Ashraf noted that parliamentary discourse is increasingly being squeezed out.

Attorney Ali Javed Darogha compared the legislation to an updated version of colonial‑era repressive laws, insisting that decentralising authority and reinforcing government accountability are the only ways to break the cycle.

PTI legislator Sheikh Imtiaz argued the bill breaches at least fourteen sections of Pakistan’s constitution, including the right to a fair trial and freedom of movement, and highlighted that lawmakers often receive the bill only after debate has begun.

HRCP also reiterated its alarm over a recent surge in alleged fake police encounters across Punjab, where official numbers record 808 incidents and 1,100 suspect deaths. The commission warned that the Crime Control Department habitually resorts to lethal force under the banner of crime control.

Citing the recent killing of a nine‑year‑old child, HRCP warned that the use of deadly force outside the judicial process is becoming commonplace. It called for an independent judicial probe, emphasising that departmental investigations alone cannot prevent such violations without transparent, independent monitoring.