ISLAMABAD – The newly created Rights Management Unit, headed by the Additional IG, will have province-wide powers to suppress riots and protests, raising fears of a permanent police presence.
The critics are calling against civil liberties, as the Punjab government is set to massively expand police powers with a controversial amendment to the Police Order 2002. Punjab Assembly’s Home Committee approved a bill that could transform the province into a high-surveillance, heavily controlled zone.
Under Police Order (Second Amendment) Act 2025, Punjab police will gain unprecedented powers, including creation of high-security zones where protests, processions, and public gatherings could face strict restrictions. Anyone violating these restrictions could face up to three years in prison and fines as high as five lakh rupees. Even in ordinary areas, unauthorized gatherings could carry up to one year imprisonment and Rs3Lac in fines. Police will also have the authority to confiscate materials used in protests, effectively criminalizing the tools of dissent.
The bill also introduces a new “Rights Management Unit”, a specially trained, fully armed force to tackle riots and unlawful protests. This unit will be headed by an Additional IG and empowered to act anywhere in the province, marking a major escalation in state authority over public life.
A new concept of “Rights Zones” allows police and district administration to declare any area sensitive, granting them sweeping powers like evacuating residents, shutting down roads, and appointing an “Incident Commander” to enforce state orders. District Deputy Commissioners will have the final say on which areas are deemed sensitive, meaning ordinary public spaces could now face strict government control.
Government officials insist these measures are necessary to maintain law and order, prevent violent protests, and protect citizens. But human rights activists and legal experts warn the law could crush constitutional freedoms. Provisions for non-bailable offenses, harsh punishments, and legal immunity for police actions in the name of “good faith” are particularly alarming.
Rights activists warned, saying we are on verge of becoming permanent residents of police state. This is all aimed at silencing political voices. Even public spaces like Minar-e-Pakistan could be declared sensitive. Courts have already backed off. Punjab is moving rapidly toward a strict, authoritarian governance system.
The expansion of police powers is not new in Punjab. 2025 Safe City Project installed thousands of surveillance cameras in major cities, now admissible as legal evidence, while Crime Control Departments and special police units have broadened police authority across the province.
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