Rights Groups Slam Balochistan’s Anti-Terrorism Bill, 2025 as ‘Repressive’ and ‘Unconstitutional’
Islamabad: Human rights organisations have strongly condemned the recently passed Anti-Terrorism (Balochistan Amendment) Bill, 2025, by the Balochistan Assembly, warning that the legislation poses a grave threat to civil liberties, human rights, and the rule of law in Pakistan’s troubled province.
BVJ: Law Gives Security Forces Sweeping Powers
The Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) issued a detailed statement on Friday, describing the bill as a “deeply troubling development” that dangerously undermines constitutional safeguards and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.
“The legislation grants sweeping powers to state agencies, enabling the detention of individuals for up to three months without judicial oversight, institutionalising the risk of **arbitrary arrests, torture, and enforced disappearances,” said the BVJ.
The organisation criticised the move as using the legislative body to “legitimise repression,” warning that the bill empowers security forces to act with impunity, silence political dissent, and target peaceful activists and rights defenders.
Violation of International Human Rights Laws
The BVJ asserted that the bill violates international treaties to which Pakistan is a signatory, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). It said the law reflects a coercive approach to governance rather than addressing long-standing political grievances in the province.
The group called upon the United Nations, international human rights organisations, and democratic governments to intervene and hold Pakistan accountable.
“Silencing people will not bring peace. Only justice and accountability can,” the BVJ said.
Paank: Bill Will Deepen the Human Rights Crisis
The Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, Paank, also condemned the legislation, calling it an act that “aggravates the already dire human rights situation” in Balochistan.
The rights body warned that the law would further entrench a climate of fear, legalising state-sponsored abuses under the guise of counter-terrorism.
“Balochistan has long endured serious human rights violations including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture,” Paank noted.
Documented Abuses and Suppression of Dissent
Paank cited its 2025 data, documenting over 66 extrajudicial killings of individuals who had previously been in state custody. It also highlighted the violent suppression of peaceful protests, including the July 2024 Gwadar crackdown, where security forces opened fire on demonstrators, injuring 14 people.
The group criticised the use of Pakistan’s Maintenance of Public Order (3MPO) Ordinance, which it claimed was routinely used to silence dissent, including against members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC). Key BYC figures such as Mahrang Baloch, Bebarg Baloch, Gulzadi Baloch, and others were detained during peaceful protests in Quetta under the pretext of public order.
Call for International Pressure and Repeal
Both BVJ and Paank have urged global civil society, human rights defenders, and international watchdogs to call for the immediate repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, the release of detained activists, and the launch of independent investigations into systematic human rights violations in Balochistan.
“The targeting of civilians and rights activists under the veil of security must end to restore justice and human dignity in the region,” Paank concluded.
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