{
  "id": 4691539,
  "title": "Opposition walks out as Punjab Assembly passes controversial Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/opposition-walks-out-as-punjab-assembly-passes-controversial-anti",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-31T18:20:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2026430/opposition-walks-out-as-punjab-assembly-passes-controversial-anti-terrorism-amendment-bill-2026"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Monday, the Punjab Assembly approved the contentious Punjab Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2026, amidst objections and a complete walkout by opposition lawmakers. The heated debate centered on legal and constitutional implications of the new legislation, with Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan ruling that the bill could be placed on the agenda based on Article 142 of the Constitution. Khan reminisced about Pakistan's 1990s terrorism, which claimed over 100,000 lives, including high-profile figures, and attacks on places of worship. He argued that terrorists often avoided justice due to insufficient witness protection and security, and suggested the opposition propose constructive amendments instead of blocking the bill.\n\nOpposition leader Moin Riaz Qureshi vehemently opposed the law, labeling it \"draconian\" and a \"bill to crush the citizens of Punjab.\" He accused the ruling government of introducing the amendment to target political rivals, similar to previous defamation and National Accountability Bureau laws. Qureshi raised concerns over a provision enabling a Grade-20 designated official to advise the chief justice of the Lahore High Court on classifying cases as \"special security cases.\" Opposition lawmaker Ahmar Rashid Bhatti compared the proposed law to a 1909 British colonial-era act opposed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, warning that hiding the identities and voices of judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, and witnesses would violate Article 10-A of the Constitution, which guarantees a fair and transparent trial. Following the intense debate, the opposition walked out of the hall, rejecting their proposed amendments and allowing the House to approve the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2026.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "Opposition walks out of Punjab Assembly in protest of Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026",
    "Speaker rules bill can be placed on agenda under Article 142 of Constitution",
    "Opposition leader criticizes bill as 'draconian' targeting political rivals"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Opposition walks out as Punjab Assembly passes controversial Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/opposition-walks-out-as-punjab-assembly-passes-controversial-anti-4693777",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:20:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Punjab Assembly passes anti-terrorism bill after opposition walkout",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/punjab-assembly-passes-anti-terrorism-bill-after-opposition-walkout",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:47:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Kano Assembly passes Economic Planning and Development Council Bill into law",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/kano-assembly-passes-economic-planning-and-development-council-bill",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:58:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}