Dawn Report Claims Punjab’s Proposed Anti-Social Behaviour Bill Raises Serious Civil Liberties Concerns

Lahore: A report published by Pakistan’s English-language newspaper Dawn claims that the Punjab government is in the final stages of introducing a controversial law that would grant authorities sweeping powers against individuals designated as habitual offenders or involved in alleged anti-social behaviour.

According to the report, the proposed Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, 2026, has already been approved at the committee level and is expected to be presented before the Punjab Assembly. The bill was introduced by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) lawmaker and former district and sessions judge Khalid Mahmood Ranjha.

The report says one of the most controversial aspects of the proposed legislation is that certain restrictions could be imposed immediately after an arrest or the filing of a police charge, rather than after a court conviction. It claims that, based on the recommendations of an intelligence committee, authorities could freeze bank accounts, confiscate property, seize mobile phones and laptops, and restrict an individual’s online and social media presence, even before a final judicial verdict.

According to the report, individuals designated as “habitual offenders” could also be placed on a provisional national identification list, leading to the suspension or confiscation of their national identity cards and passports. The proposed law would further require such individuals to wear electronic monitoring devices for at least three months, submit fingerprints and DNA samples, and regularly report to police stations.

The Dawn article states that the bill identifies 23 categories of “anti-social behaviour,” including organized crime, drug trafficking, harassment in public places, abusive language, the dissemination of what it describes as “misinformation” on social media, and animal cruelty. It also argues that some of the definitions are broad and leave significant discretion to intelligence committees.

The report further claims that district intelligence committees would be empowered to recommend additional activities for inclusion under the law without requiring fresh legislative approval, a provision that has reportedly drawn concern from legal experts and human rights advocates.

According to the article, critics argue that the proposed legislation resembles certain colonial-era laws, including the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and the Registration of Habitual Offenders Act of 1918, which were used by British authorities to monitor and restrict individuals without criminal convictions. It also draws comparisons with the West Pakistan Control of Goondas Ordinance, 1959, while asserting that the new bill would grant even broader powers to administrative authorities.

The Punjab government has maintained that the proposed legislation is intended to strengthen public safety and address habitual criminal activity. However, legal and human rights circles have expressed concerns, as cited in the report, that some provisions may require greater judicial oversight and clearer legal safeguards before becoming law.