Senate panel gives nod to succession certificate bill

Discusses proposed legislations seeking amendments in Articles 11, 260 and Fourth Schedule

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Tuesday gave the nod to the Ministry of Law to introduce a legislative proposal in the house related to the issuance of succession certificates.

The committee, in its meeting presided by Senator Javed Abbasi, approved the Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Bill, 2018 and asked the ministry to introduce the bill in the upper house.

The proposed bill aims at providing for an efficacious and speedy mechanism for issuance of letters of administration and succession certificates by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to prevent identity fraud and forgery.

The proposed bill was referred to the committee by the Senate chairman to propose legislation for providing a simple mechanism in order to address the difficulties faced by citizens in obtaining succession certificates and declaring family trees.

The ministry will now take the bill to the cabinet after which it will be brought to the Senate for consideration. The committee was informed by the officials of Ministry of Law and Justice and NADRA that the latter was in position to handling issuance of certificates in Islamabad.

The committee hoped that once the legislation is passed for Islamabad, provinces will be encouraged to adopt the same for convenience to the people.

It also discussed constitutional amendment bills moved by senators Quratulain Marri, Naseebullah Bazai and Syed Sabir Shah regarding amendments in Articles 11, 260 and Fourth Schedule, respectively.

The bill sponsored by Marri sought to increase the minimum age of employment in hazardous work from 14 years to 16 years. The bill by Bazai sought to remove the two-year bar on governors and the president to contest elections, while the bill sponsored by Shah sought a standard paper and quality for printing of the Holy Quran across Pakistan.

The committee decided to conduct public hearings in consultation with provincial assemblies on the matters. The meeting was also attended by Senators Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Ayesha Raza Farooq, Dr Ghous Muhammad Khan Niazi, Sana Jamali, the secretary for law and justice and senior officers.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP