Senate Standing Committee on Interior passes key bills, addresses public safety concerns
ISLAMABAD, Nov 07 (SABAH): The Senate Standing Committee on Interior convened on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman at the Parliament House in Islamabad to review and pass several significant bills aimed at enhancing public safety, strengthening legal frameworks, and improving governance.
The committee approved the following important legislative measures:
The National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, this bill was passed following its introduction in the Senate on October 17, 2024. It aims to establish a national forensic agency to enhance the country’s capacity in criminal investigations and forensic science.
The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz and introduced in the Senate on March 4, 2024, the bill was passed with amendments. It aims to address evolving challenges related to road safety and motor vehicle regulations.
The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Also moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, this bill was passed to streamline factory regulations and improve occupational safety standards.
The Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2024: This bill, moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz on April 29, 2024, was passed to strengthen workers’ rights regarding timely payments and wage transparency.
The Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz, this bill aims to regulate rental agreements and protect tenants from unfair practices, and was successfully passed by the committee.
The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan on April 29, 2024, this bill was passed to enhance legal provisions in the country’s criminal justice system.
The committee also reviewed several other bills, deferring or referring them for further consultation:
The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, the bill was referred to a subcommittee, which will include Senators Shahadat Awan, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, and Jam Saifuallah Khan. The committee also requested the presence of representatives from the ministries of Law, Interior, and Human Rights for a discussion on the length of imprisonment under the proposed amendments.
The Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz, this bill was referred to the Law Division and the ICT Administration for further review and clarity on amendments.
The Shamilat Land Protection Bill, 2024 and The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Both bills, moved by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, were deferred for further deliberation. The committee sought detailed data on land acquisitions in the Islamabad Capital Territory and requested the Ministry of Defence to provide the relevant notifications on armed forces involvement.
The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024: Moved by Senator Fawzia Arshad, the bill was deferred due to the absence of the mover.
The National Occupational Health and Safety Bill, 2023: Moved by Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, this bill was deferred due to the absence of the mover.
The committee also took up pressing matters of public safety. During the meeting, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri raised concerns over the use of tinted papers by bureaucrats, suggesting that such privileges should be equally accessible to the general public for their safety. She emphasized that the public’s security needs are as critical as those of government officials, and called for a briefing on the relevant laws regarding this matter in the next meeting.
Further, discussions were held on street crimes, theft, and armed robberies in Islamabad. The discussion followed after the committee took serious notice of robbery of a senior officer of the Senate Secretariat Media Directorate and his family which created terror and alarm in the capital city and calls for a robust action plan. The chairman committee expressed concerns over the rise in these incidents and sought a detailed briefing from the relevant authorities on the number of such crimes and the measures being taken to curb such events regularly taking place in the capital city.
Additionally, Senator Danesh Kumar raised a point of public importance regarding the abduction of Priya Kumari, and Senator Kamran Murtaza highlighted the recent rise in terrorism incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both matters were deferred due to absence of mover
The meeting was attended by Senators Shahadat Awan, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, and Mohsin Aziz, with senior officials from relevant government departments also in attendance.