Punjab Assembly speaker surprised by committee's approval of anti-social behaviour bill, says not aware it was laid

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan was surprised on Sunday when an opposition member informed him that the Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, 2026 had been approved by the PA Standing Committee on Law. “It has been laid?” he questioned when PTI’s Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan clarified that the standing committee had given its nod to the legislation. The bill proposes a regime in which the executive can freeze a person’s bank account, seize their property, remove their online presence, confiscate their phone, and place them under electronic surveillance, all on the basis of an intelligence committee’s assessment of their conduct. MPA Rana initiated the conversation on the legislation in the House, which had met to discuss the province’s supplementary budget. He said the bill was against human rights and warned that if enacted, it would affect the coming generations. The ruling PML-N could also become a victim of it as it could not remain in power for forever, he said. For his part, the speaker said he was not aware that the bill had been introduced in the House, expressing annoyance with the assembly secretariat and warning of strict action. The bill was introduced in the House on June 8. Dawn reached out to the speaker for further clarity on how the bill was introduced in the House without his knowledge, but there was no immediate response. During the PA session, the speaker also said, “It’s not possible to introduce a law reminiscent of the colonial era … There could be some misunderstanding on this. Let me see.” He further remarked, “Will the DC (deputy commissioner) and DPO (district police officer) be empowered to take action against an individual (under the proposed law)?” The speaker noted that even under the Goonda Act, the court had the authority to sentence a person if intelligence agencies reported their involvement in hooliganism. During the session, opposition members expressed concern that the proposed l