Proposed amendments in PPC: Senate panel seeks final opinion of CII
The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, chaired by Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, reviewed the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to revise Sections 323, 330, and 331 of the PPC.
The bill was introduced by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri.
Explaining the rationale behind the proposed changes, the mover told the committee that the issue of blood money (diyyah) has long been a matter of concern for both jurists and the judiciary due to its great importance in people's daily lives.
The bill seeks to modernise the valuation mechanism of diyyah, taking into account contemporary economic conditions and the spirit of Sharia, she says.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill that since traditional assets such as camels, gold, and silver have fluctuated significantly in value and accessibility, a modern framework is essential to ensure fairness for both victims' families and offenders. It is also necessary to create deterrence so that no one simply pays blood money (diyyah) and gets away, while the victim's family continues to suffer, it says.
The committee recognised that the minimum amount of diyyah must be consistent with Sharia stipulations, as reaffirmed by the representative of the CII, who stated: The minimum amount of diyyah remains fix grams of gold and any amendment must strictly adhere to the injunctions of the holy Quran and Sharia.
The committee deferred the bill for further deliberations in order to get comprehensive input from all relevant stakeholders. It decided to invite the Ministry of Interior to share their viewpoints, particularly on the practical implementation of the proposed amendments.
The committee sought the final opinion of the CII, so that no legislation on diyyah must fall outside the bounds of Quranic principles.
The parliamentary body for Ministry of Law will compile a comparative chart on values of silver, gold; etc, and to outline the prevailing practices in other Muslim countries.
Senators Shahadat Awan, Kamran Murtaza, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, the Minister of State for Law and Justice, and Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri also attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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