The Punjab Assembly must treat the proposed Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, 2026 with far greater seriousness than it has shown so far. After the fiasco surrounding the Telecommunications Bill at the federal level, it is more important than ever that elected assemblies pass laws that are reasonable, well-considered and constitutionally sound. Instead, Punjab appears to be witnessing another familiar pattern: a bill is moved in haste, sent through committee with little public confidence, and only reconsidered once an outcry emerges.
That outcry is justified. There is no dispute that the state has a responsibility to curb genuinely harmful conduct, including gambling networks, the promotion of weapons, online blackmail, impersonation and other criminal activities. Public safety matters. So does the writ of the state. But the danger lies in the loose and expansive definition of “anti-social behaviour”. A vague law in the hands of a powerful executive is an invitation to abuse.
Punjab must not move towards a system where officers decide, on their own interpretation of morality or public order, who deserves surveillance, movement restrictions, blocked identity documents, frozen accounts or removal from digital spaces. Such punishments belong within the domain of the judiciary. They must follow due process, fair consideration and an honest trial, not the whims of an official sitting in a plush office.
By giving sweeping powers to administrative structures while weakening judicial oversight, the bill blurs the line between governance and arbitrary punishment. It risks turning executive officers into old-school qazis and feudal lords who can decide the fate of citizens in an instant.
The government must withdraw or radically revise the bill. Any law dealing with public order, digital conduct and civil liberties must be tightly defined, constitutionally reviewed and debated in full. We must not create an all-powerful morality police.
