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LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the controversial Punjab Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2026, despite objections and a full walkout by opposition lawmakers.
The session saw heated exchanges between government members and the opposition, centred on a debate between Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and Opposition Leader Moin Riaz Qureshi over the legal and constitutional implications of the new legislation.
Addressing the house, Speaker Khan issued a ruling confirming that the bill could legally be placed on the agenda, citing Article 142 of the Constitution concerning criminal-law jurisdiction.
Defending the move, the speaker referred to his personal experiences from the 1990s, recalling how terrorism claimed more than 100,000 lives in Pakistan, including those of high-profile figures such as Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada and Captain Mubeen, and led to attacks on places of worship such as Data Darbar.
