15th session: 11 private bills introduced in National Assembly

Laws punishing cannibalism, protecting journalists proposed

ISLAMABAD:

As many as 11 private members’ bills were introduced in the lower house on Tuesday, setting a record for legislative business in the current parliamentary year.

Prominent among these amendment bills include the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2014 introduced by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers. This amendment bill was aimed at curbing cannibalism and introducing punishment for those who exhume corpses or any part of a corpse without permission of the competent authority. For the purpose, the proposed amendment law suggests punishment with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.



The 297-B says whoever exhumes corpses or any part of a corpse with intent to cook, eat or to sell or to use for magic any organ or removes the hair of a female corpse or cooks any part of the corpse or eats or sells any organ of the corpse, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description of a term which shall not be less than ten years and shall also be liable to fine.

Two other similar amendment bills for changes in the same law were also introduced and the speaker of the National Assembly suggested clubbing them into one bill for convenience.

The bills were introduced in the backdrop of some incidents of cannibalism in Punjab in 2011. The courts later released the suspects due to absence of laws for punishment.

Another amendment bill was introduced by Jamaat-e-Islami lawmakers for further amendment in the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure 1989, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The aim of the amendment was to insert a clause for the protection of journalists in the country.

The movers of the bill noted that even though journalists are being harassed, targeted and killed, no effective law exists for their protection. The bill proposes that legislation be introduced for the security of journalists in future through establishment of the National Press Council.

The MQM lawmakers also introduced a constitutional amendment bill in the lower house, proposing amendment in the Constitution proposing that the right of vote of the citizens of Pakistan shall not be affected in case the citizens acquire another nationality or citizenship permitted under the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951. In the amendment, the movers proposed that the dual citizens’ rights of vote and right to run the elections shall not be affected.

Besides, other bills which were introduced include amendment in the Civil Service Act 1973,  amendment in the Islamabad Restriction Ordinance 2001, amendment in the Election Laws, amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan for replacing English language with Urdu to use Urdu as an official language, amendment in the Human Organs and Tissues  Act 2010, amendment in the Constitution for increasing minority seats in the National Assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2014.