Anti-national acts of misguided citizens and their fanatic mentors have forced even democratic governments to enact special laws to deal with these. The purpose of such provisions, which many propagators of individual freedom view as 'draconian', is to prevent anti-nationals from abusing their freedom to harm that very society which offers them that freedom in the first place. Both India and Pakistan have enacted such special laws, but the difference is palpable - the latter, as it is its wont, has given itself more arbitrary powers. In this study, the Shri Sushant Sarin, Senior Fellow, VIF and a well known Pakistan expert, and Ms Navroz Singh, a Research Intern with the VIF, have delved into an interesting comparison between the premise under which such laws are enacted in the two countries.