NA panel okays domestic violence bill

The 17th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was held on Wednesday, at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA.

Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar briefed the Committee on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025, emphasising that although substantial work had been done on the bill, further refinements were necessary to align the law of evidence with both historical precedents and contemporary needs.

He proposed that under the revised framework, an SHO would first conduct an inquiry, which would then be reviewed by a district-level committee under the DPO to determine whether an FIR should be registered. Tarar requested a special session for deeper deliberation.

The committee stressed the importance of consulting key stakeholders, particularly bar councils, and agreed to circulate the draft bill for feedback within 30 days.

The chair said this approach would enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the legislation. Consequently, the bill was deferred to the committee's next meeting.

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, was considered and recommended for passage by the National Assembly with amendments.

The Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) briefed members on the ANF's operations, challenges, and international cooperation efforts.

The Committee expressed concern over the misuse of courier services for drug trafficking and recommended stricter regulations for logistics companies, including mandatory identification and tracking systems.