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LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan deferred further proceedings on the Anti-Terrorism (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2026 after opposition lawmaker Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan objected to it on constitutional and procedural grounds, including the provincial legislature’s competence.
Through the bill, the Punjab government has proposed sweeping changes to the anti-terrorism law that could allow terrorism cases to be tried under a highly confidential regime, including keeping the identities of judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and witnesses secret.
Raising his objections, PTI’s Rana Aftab termed the bill “unconstitutional” and demanded open and fair trials in terrorism cases.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Rana Muhammad Iqbal maintained that the standing committee had discussed the bill threadbare and that the opposition should have raised its objections there.
