Punjab Reviews Controversial Anti-Social Behaviour Bill

The Punjab government has decided to send the controversial Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill 2026 back for a complete review, after strong criticism from opposition lawmakers, rights-focused voices and even members within the ruling party raised concerns over its scope and possible misuse.

The development was announced in the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, where Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan told lawmakers that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had ordered a full reconsideration of the proposed legislation. The move marks a significant retreat by the provincial government after days of debate over whether the bill could give authorities excessive powers.

According to the speaker, the Assembly Secretariat will return the draft law to the law department, which will then place it before the provincial cabinet for amendments. The bill is expected to be redesigned before being presented again in the House, meaning the current draft is unlikely to proceed in its existing form.

Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the government wanted to refine the legislation so that concerns about public freedoms, legal safeguards and human rights could be addressed. He also acknowledged that opposition lawmaker Rana Aftab Ahmed had formally written to the Assembly Secretariat regarding the bill, while the draft had already been discussed at committee level.

The bill had drawn sharp attention because critics described it as resembling colonial-era control laws, warning that broad language around habitual offenders and anti-social behaviour could be used against political workers, activists, journalists or ordinary citizens. Supporters of stronger law-and-order legislation argue that Punjab needs tools to act against repeat offenders, but opponents insist that any such framework must include strict judicial oversight and clear protections.

During the same sitting, opposition lawmaker Rana Shahbaz raised a separate protest over alleged medical negligence at the THQ hospital in Ahmadpur Sial. He claimed that a gunshot victim died after delayed treatment, using the floor of the House to demand accountability in government-run health facilities.

The session also included concerns from minority member Phelbus Christopher, who objected to the district administration’s takeover of Ewing Hall, also known as Neela Gumbad Hostel, at FC College Lahore. Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat responded that the Walled City Authority was only renovating the building, which had remained closed for years, and said it would be returned to the college management after restoration.

Lawmakers also passed resolutions on water security, anti-drug measures in educational institutions and the Punjab Assembly’s transition toward a paperless legislative system. The water resolution warned that Pakistan’s limited storage capacity poses risks to food security, agriculture and the broader economy, while the anti-drug resolution called for a zero-tolerance approach in schools and colleges.

The bill’s withdrawal for changes is politically important because it shows how quickly public pressure can shape provincial lawmaking when civil liberties are at stake. For Punjab, the next challenge will be to produce a revised draft that targets crime without creating vague powers that could weaken constitutional protections, democratic dissent or public trust in law enforcement.