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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Senate committees present key reports
Reports of various Senate standing committees on important legislative bills were presented in the Upper House on Tuesday under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate. Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control Chairman Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman presented the committee's reports on three significant amendment bills. The senator first presented the report on the bill further to amend the Societies Registration Act, 1860 [The Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025]. He also submitted the report of the committee on the bill further to amend the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997.
Business Recorder
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Senate panel approves two amendment bills
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Monday approved two significant amendment bills while voicing strong concerns over widespread civic violations in Islamabad, including illegal guest houses, unauthorised constructions, and encroachments on greenbelts. The committee chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, approved two key amendment bills while rejecting several others and expressing serious concerns over rampant urban violations in the federal capital. The committee passed the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025, presented by Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar. It also approved the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to authorise law officers of the Coast Guards as public prosecutors. The committee recommended that the rules clearly define the government's role in appointing special public prosecutors. However, several proposed legislations failed to secure endorsement. Senator Mohsin Aziz's Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill was rejected due to lack of support from key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, HEC, Ministry of Health, Law Ministry, Anti-Narcotics Force, and provincial authorities. Despite highlighting that nearly 30 percent of the population may be affected by drug use, the committee deemed the bill unfeasible. Another bill moved by Senator Aziz — the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — was also voted down, although members acknowledged the need for stronger controls on hoarding in Islamabad. Senator Palwasha Khan withdrew both the Shamilat Land Protection Bill, 2024 and the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Additionally, the National Occupational Health and Safety Bill, 2023 by Senator Zarqa Suhrawardy and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by Senator Fawzia Arshad were dropped due to the absence of the respective movers. The committee also reviewed the annual repair and maintenance plan for the Parliament building, prepared by the CDA in consultation with both legislative secretariats. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry criticised the delay in funding and poor quality of work, prompting the committee to recommend implementation in one go and better financial planning. Addressing civic issues, the committee was informed that Islamabad houses 221 guest houses, with 27 sealed, 112 under litigation in the Islamabad High Court, 86 in the Supreme Court, and 194 operating under stay orders. Senator Shahadat Awan raised alarm over unauthorised commercial use of residential properties. Chairman Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman pointed out illegal constructions continuing despite court interventions and encroachments on CDA greenbelts. He directed the CDA to present a detailed progress report and review past recommendations in the next session. The meeting was attended by senators, Shahadat Awan, Palwasha Khan, Umer Farooq, Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Mohsin Aziz, Jam Saifullah Khan, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, and senior officials from relevant ministries and departments. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Family Registration Certificates: Ministry recommended to conduct comprehensive review
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Thursday recommended Ministry of Interior to conduct a comprehensive review of the Family Registration Certificates (FRCs) to cleanse the national database of aliens possessing Pakistani Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and passports. A senior official of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which met with Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman in the chair in 2023, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) had dispatched 12,096 Pakistani passports, recovered from Afghan nationals, to the Pakistan Embassy. They [aliens] used a Pakistani passport as a vehicle for going to KSA, and there they renounced Pakistani citizenship, he said. State Minister for Interior Talal Chauddhry said KSA and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have raised concerns over the misuse of Pakistani passports. Chairman of the committee Rehman said that a review of FRCs would curb the false addition of an alien or any person to the FRCs and issuance of fake passports. Director General (DG) Immigration and Passport (I&P), Mustafa Jamal Kazi told the committee that out of 12,096, the data of 4,500 passports is not available in the database of I&P. All the passports have been cancelled and action has been taken against the officials of NADRA and an I&P director found responsible for issuance of passport to aliens. He further said these aliens are not in Pakistan, and as per reports, KSA had deported them to Afghanistan. 'Action has been taken against 35 assistant directors of I&P Directorate in connection issuance of passports to aliens,' he said, adding that the majority of these passports had been issued from Gujrat, Gujranwala and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The committee also raised serious concerns over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed annoyance over the absence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's chief secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP), who were invited to brief the committee on provincial security. Special Secretary Home Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the meeting that the chief secretary were attending a cabinet meeting and was therefore, unable to participate in the session. Following the explanation, Chairman Faisal Saleem decided to postpone the agenda item, stating, 'We will defer this discussion to the next meeting.' A senior official of the Ministry of Interior, while briefing the committee on laws/rules regarding the ban on tinted glasses in vehicles and the amount collected as a fine, said that there is no policy for granting permission for tinted glasses and currently there is a complete ban on use of tinted glasses in vehicles. He said that the Interior Ministry had banned use of tinted glasses in 2013 and decided to formulate a new policy in this regard. When the chairman asked if the ministry had formulated a policy with respect to the use of tinted glasses, the official replied in the negative. The committee recommended the Interior Ministry to formulate a policy in this regard and present it before the committee. The committee reviewed the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of Rs84823.096 million of the Ministry of Interior and its attached department for the financial year 2025-26. Senators Irfanul Haque Siddiqui, Naseema Ehsan, Saifullah Abro, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Umer Farooq, Palwasha Khan, Jam Saifullah Khan, and Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry, and senior officials attended the meeting. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
