The government has proposed authorising the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), armed forces, and civil armed forces to detain individuals for up-to three months through an amendment bill introduced in the National Assembly.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar presented the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the lower house of parliament on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday, The News reported.
The bill would envisage the substitution of section 11EEE of the Anti-Terrorist Act 1997 with a new amended section.
According to the substitution of section 11EEE in the introduced bill, the government, the armed forces or civil armed forces on receiving credible information or a reasonable suspicion exists against a person, may issue detention orders for three months.
“The current security situation requires a robust response that goes beyond the existing legal framework and therefore, the amendment in section 11EEE is required to be inserted to empower government, civil and armed forces or armed forces to detain an individual who poses a significant threat to national security,” the statement of objects and reasons of the proposed legislation said.