The Bill seeks to ensure that a person is informed of the grounds of his detention at the time he is detained or soon thereafter, and is not detained under the law for a period longer than three months without the authority of a Board.

The Bill, titled ‘The Preventive Detention Law Amendment Act 1962’, was introduced immediately after the Question Hour.

The statement of objects and reason of the Bill said: “The principles of law-making specified under Article 6 of the Constitution lay down in paragraph two of Principle 8 that a law providing for preventive detention (a) should be made only in the interests of the security of Pakistan or of public safety, (b) should ensure that (except where the President or the Governor of a province in the interest of the security of Pakistan direct otherwise) a person detained under the law is informed of the grounds of his detention at the time he is detained or as soon thereafter as is practicable, and (c) should ensure that a person is not detained under the law for a period longer than three months without the authority of a Board consisting of:

1. Where the law is a Central law — a Judge of the Supreme Court who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of that Court and another senior officer in the service of Pakistan who shall be nominated by the President, or

2. Where the law is a provincial law — a Judge of the High Court of the province concerned, who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of that Court, and another senior officer in the service of Pakistan who shall be nominated by the Governor of that province.” —Agencies