The controversial government of Balochistan has passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 in the provincial assembly, introducing provisions that directly conflict with the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Under this amendment, certain cases in Balochistan will now be tried through a secret judicial system. Within this special system, the identities of judges, lawyers, witnesses, and all individuals connected to the case will be concealed; witnesses will be assigned codes and symbolic names; hearings may be conducted virtually inside prisons or at undisclosed locations; and voice-distortion technology will be used.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the legal fraternity, and political parties in Balochistan have all voiced serious reservations over this law. According to them, the amendment strips citizens of their constitutional right to a fair trial. There are fears that, just as anti-terrorism laws have been weaponised in the past, this law too will be misused against political opponents and activists.
This move represents yet another attempt to crush the rising popular movement against state repression in Balochistan. Through an imposed government, the ruling powers are introducing laws that will make it even easier to incarcerate political leaders and activists. Following the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the courts have already failed to meet the requirements of justice. Under constant pressure from the state, the courts in Balochistan have been extending police remands, thereby giving legal cover to the prolonged imprisonment of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leaders.
In the war-torn conditions of Balochistan, where political activists already face enforced disappearances and fabricated cases, this amended Act will further intensify state actions against them. In reality, this law is yet another attempt to cloak injustice in the garb of justice, which will only deepen the ongoing political crisis in Balochistan.