Pakistan’s Punjab allows ‘secret’ terrorism trials: Why it’s controversial

What the report says

Punjab’s provincial assembly in Pakistan has approved a controversial anti-terrorism amendment that would allow some terrorism cases to be handled in near-total secrecy, according to Al Jazeera. The law, passed on August 31 after opposition lawmakers walked out, permits an unnamed designated official to classify cases as “special security cases” and arrange for anonymous judges, prosecutors, witnesses and even defence lawyers to be involved. Trial records can be sealed, and appeals may be heard by judges who are not told who handled the original case.

Al Jazeera reported that the new framework gives broad discretion to a senior bureaucrat whose identity is kept confidential, known only to the chief justice of the Lahore High Court. Critics say the measure lacks clear limits, contains no expiry date and could be used beyond genuine terrorism threats. The government says the law is needed because judges, prosecutors and witnesses face security risks in terrorism cases, but it has not pointed to a specific incident that prompted the change.

Opposition politicians, lawyers and rights groups have argued that the law undermines fair-trial guarantees and shifts too much power from the courts to the executive. A constitutional lawyer quoted by Al Jazeera said existing rules already allow courts to protect witnesses and manage closed hearings. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also warned the language is vague and could be abused against political opponents, protesters or ordinary citizens.

More broadly, the debate comes amid long-running concerns about how Pakistan’s anti-terrorism system has been used. Al Jazeera noted that Punjab sees a smaller share of the country’s terrorism deaths than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where most such deaths occur.