Punjab's provincial assembly passed the Anti-Terrorism (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2026 on August 31, 2026, after opposition lawmakers walked out in protest. The law inserts a new Section 21AAA into the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, creating a sealed, anonymous trial track for cases a confidential official designates as requiring extraordinary protection.

The law takes effect upon receiving the governor's assent, which has not been publicly confirmed as of September 4, 2026. It contains no sunset clause and does not expire on its own.

How the special security case process works

The government appoints a senior bureaucrat of at least Grade 20 as a designated authority. The official's identity is kept confidential and known only to the chief justice of the Lahore High Court. That official may declare any terrorism case, or a whole category of cases, a special security case if they conclude the people involved need protection. The law does not clearly define the criteria for that decision, and an accused person cannot contest the classification.

Once the official requests it, the chief justice assigns the case to a sitting anti-terrorism court judge. A panel of five public prosecutors is drawn up, and the official picks one. From that point, the identities of the judge, prosecutor, police officers, witnesses and defence lawyers shall not be disclosed under any circumstances.

The specific measures include:

  • Official titles are used instead of names on court orders and proceedings
  • Witnesses are identified only by codes issued by the designated authority
  • Voice-altering technology may be used during hearings
  • Hearings may be conducted by video link, including from prisons
  • The case file is sealed and held jointly by the chief justice and the designated authority

A final clause allows the government to adopt such other measures as it may deem appropriate, permitting further powers without additional legislation. The secrecy provisions also apply to appellate proceedings.

Why critics say it violates fair-trial guarantees

Constitutional lawyer Rida Hosain told Al Jazeera that the secrecy removes a basic safeguard. "By introducing faceless courts, an accused is deprived of the ability to challenge judicial bias and safeguard judicial impartiality," she said. "While this law remains in force, the right to a fair trial and due process is effectively suspended in Punjab."

Opposition lawmaker Ahmer Rasheed Bhatti warned on the assembly floor that allowing the identities and voices of judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and witnesses to be concealed or altered violates Article 10-A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair and transparent trial. Lahore-based constitutional lawyer Mian Dawood said existing law already lets courts protect witnesses and hold closed hearings under a judge's control, and that the new law moves that control to the executive.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said the bill does not adequately define the circumstances in which these extraordinary powers may be invoked, creating scope for abuse against ordinary citizens, political opponents or protesters. Opposition leader Moin Riaz Qureshi called the law "draconian" and accused the government of introducing it to target political rivals.

The Balochistan precedent and what the law omits

Balochistan passed a similar law in September 2025 letting a senior official anonymously flag cases for concealed proceedings. According to Al Jazeera, it has been in force for about a year with no publicly known case of its use. Khalid Mahmood Ranjha, the legislator who tabled the Punjab bill, told Al Jazeera that Balochistan and Sindh had already passed such a law, though Al Jazeera reports that Sindh's amendment only allows the provincial government to resize or abolish anti-terrorism courts based on caseload, introducing no comparable secrecy provisions. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has not amended its law along either track.

Analyst Salman Ghani noted that Punjab records only a small share of Pakistan's terrorism-related deaths each year. The vast majority occur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which together account for more than 90 percent of the country's terrorism deaths.

Legal challenge expected

Opposition politicians have argued the law conflicts with constitutional fair-trial guarantees and may overstep what a provincial assembly can legislate, since anti-terrorism law falls under federal jurisdiction. With no sunset clause built in, whether the law survives will most likely be decided in court rather than by the assembly that passed it.

The law includes no expiry date and no requirement for periodic parliamentary review. As of September 4, 2026, no petition has been publicly filed challenging the law, but multiple critics have indicated a legal challenge is anticipated.