The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021 (Enforced Disappearances) was returned to NA on 20th Oct, 2022 after passage from Senate: Senate Secretariat

ISLAMABAD, Jan 08 (SABAH): During the hearing of the case regarding missing persons in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday, the 2nd January, 2023, a reference was made to the subject bill which originated in the National Assembly but presumably vanished when it was transmitted to Senate. Moreover, it was claimed that the efforts of the Federal Minister to get the said bill passed were thwarted by the Chairman Senate.  However, the Supreme Court rightly noted that it would not be appropriate to attend to above allegations made against the Chairman Senate. Still, a false impression was created in the media that the bill actually went missing and Chairman Senate or Senate Secretariat had a role in it.

According to the statement issued by Media Directorate, Senate Secretariat, the preposterous of the Bill vanishing or alleged interference by the Chairman of the Senate are contradicted by the factual details, which are as under:-

 i. The subject Bill was introduced by the Minister for Interior in the National Assembly on 7th June, 2021.

ii. The Bill was passed by the National Assembly on 8th November, 2021 and as per constitutional and Rules requirements, it was transmitted to the Senate on 10th November, 2021. 

iii. The Bill was tabled in the Senate on 29th July, 2022.  (Regarding the late tabling of the Bill in the Senate, it needs to be understood that being a Government Bill, it was prerogative of the Government to decide the timing of its tabling in the House by placing it on the proposal for the Orders of the Day provided by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Senate is not mandated to bring a Government Bill on the agenda on its own).

iv. After tabling in the House, the Bill was referred to the Standing Committee for consideration and report.

v. The Bill was passed by the Senate on 20th October, 2022 with some amendments. Accordingly, in pursuance of clause (2) of Article 70 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 and rule 125 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, the Bill was returned to the originating House, i.e. the National Assembly of Pakistan on 20th October, 2022.

The factual position explained above, enunciates that the subject Bill was never missing, is not pending in the Senate Secretariat rather has been returned to the National Assembly after passage in the Senate, as required by the Constitution and Rules of the Senate.