Pakistan government faces backlash over ‘draconian’ arrest powers

Amendment to bill would allow intelligence agencies to search ‘enemies’ and their premises without warrant

The Pakistan government is facing a backlash from MPs and senators after introducing an amendment to a colonial-era secrets act that critics have said will grant “draconian” powers to its military intelligence agency to detain and arrest citizens with impunity.

The amendment was quietly added in a parliamentary session and passed without providing copies to MPs, creating concern among parliamentarians on both sides of the aisle.

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This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.