NA overrules JUI-F, passes seminary bill

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly on Wednesday passed two bills including the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 as passed by the Senate.

Both the bills were moved by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Talal Chauhdry in the House.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of Societies Registration Bill 2025, Deeni Madaris have been registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. However, it is proposed that those Madaris and Wafaqs already registered or desirous to get registered directly with Directorate General of Religious Education, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional training shall be reckoned to have been registered.

The statement of objects and reasons of the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 says that in an effort to comply with the requirements of GSP+, and Pakistan's international commitments under ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), three meetings with all stakeholders were held — to review reduction of the death penalty in order to bring it in line with international law and Islamic jurisprudence.

The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control proposed the draft Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, proposing omission of death penalty from Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 with an alternative punishment of life imprisonment in the relevant sections, the statement added.

Alyia Kamran of the JUI-F sought to refer the bill to the standing committee for further deliberation but the house passed the motion with 87 votes in its favour while 41 against it.

The house passed the bills through clause by clause reading.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said that harsh sentences did not necessarily deter crime. He said European countries where death penalty did not exist, yet the crime rate was just two per cent.

Moreover, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah referred the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Bill, 2025 to the concern standing committee with a direction to report back within 15 days to House.

The Law Minister informed the House that the bill was passed by the Senate but it could not process due to dissolution of the National Assembly.

He said that the bill aimed at bringing transparency in government departments. He requested the chair to refer the bill to the committee but with specific time to report back to the House.

Meanwhile, Talal Chaudhry moved the motion to refer the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to the joint sitting for consideration and passage under sub rule (7) of the rule 154 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 read with clause (3) of Article 70 of the constitution.

Two news bills

As many as two new bills including the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Motor Vehicles Industry Development Bill, 2025 were introduced in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry and National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain introduced the bills in the National Assembly respectively.

Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah referred both the bills to the concerned standing committees for detailed deliberation.

Meanwhile, two ordinances included the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. III of 2025) and the National Agri-trade and Food Safety Authority Ordinance, 2025 (Ordinance No. VI of 2025) were laid before the National Assembly as required by clause (2) of Article 89 of the Constitution.

The ordinances were laid by State Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry and National Food Security & Research Rana Tanveer Hussain in the House respectively.

Moreover, as many as four reports of various standing committees including Interior and Narcotics Control and Cabinet Secretariat were presented in the House.

Chairman Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control Raja Khurram Shahzad presented the report of the Standing Committee on the bill further to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 [The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024] (Ordinance No. VI of 2023) in the House.

Similarly, Chairman Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat Ibrar Ahmad presented three reports of the committee including the Asaan Karobar Bill, 2025, the National School of Public Policy (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the bill further to amend the Civil Servants Act, 1973 [The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025] in the House.