NA to vote on bioweapon law today
The National Assembly is going to vote on a piece of legislation that seeks to penalise the production, stockpiling and use of biological and toxin weapons in line with an international convention that dates back to 1972.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will bring the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (Implementation) Bill, 2024 to a vote at a lower house sitting todayMonday.
The bill has been introduced to give an effect to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction.
Under the proposed bill, a complete ban on biological weapons will be enforced in Pakistan.
According to its Clause 1(a), any person attempting to design, develop, produce, stockpile, transport, import, export, sell, transfer, control, or maintain biological weapons for prohibited purposes, in violation of the law, will be subject to a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 25-year imprisonment, along with a fine of up to Rs10 million.
Additionally, all materials, equipment, technology, and movable or immovable property related to biological weapons will be confiscated by the federal government.
Clause 1(b) states that any person involved in acquiring or maintaining materials, equipment, or technology for the purposes of producing biological weapons, or obtaining means of delivery designed for the use of biological weapons or toxic substances for hostile purposes or armed conflict, or providing technical, financial, logistical, or other assistancedirectly or indirectlywill face up to 25 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs10 million.
Upon conviction, all equipment, technology related to biological weapons, and the movable and immovable property of the individual will be confiscated by the federal government.
According to Clause 4 of the proposed bill, the use of biological weapons will be completely prohibited. No individual shall use or attempt to use biological weapons within Pakistan or abroad.