Latest news with #NationalAssemblyStandingCommitteeonLawandJustice
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Constitution (Amend) Bill: NA panel calls for taking all parties on board
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Monday, supported, 'The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025' and stressed the need to consult political leaders across parties on the proposed amendments to the Constitution. The 10th meeting of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, MNA. The committee discussed, 'The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025' (Article 140-A) moved by Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, MNA. During deliberations, the mover emphasised that the 18th Amendment aimed to devolve powers to the grassroots level, but without a local government system, this goal remains unachieved. While members supported the bill's intent in principle, they agreed its success depends on political will and stressed the need to consult political leaders across parties. The committee was informed that, despite a prior formal request to all parliamentary leaders for their views on the proposed amendment, no responses have been received. Therefore, the committee recommended issuing a fresh reminder through the Ministry of Law and Justice and the committee to urge political leaders to submit their opinions, enabling further progress on the matter. The committee condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, especially the tragic school bus incident, and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives. Condolences were extended to the bereaved families. Meanwhile, the minutes of the meeting held on 30th April 2025 were approved. The committee considered the bills: The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 175-A and 215) (moved by Asad Qaiser), The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Article 59), and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 51 and 106) (moved by Naveed Aamir, MNA). During deliberations, the committee noted that despite repeated inclusion on the agenda, the movers consistently failed to attend. Accordingly, the committee, unanimously, recommended that the bills should not be passed by the assembly. The committee considered the bill, 'The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024' (Section 54-A) (moved by Sofia Saeed Shah, MNA). During the discussion, it was noted that the mover was unwell, leading to a request to defer the bill. The committee also recalled that the Ministry of Law and Justice had promised to share a draft of related amendments to the Land Revenue Act but had not yet done so due to short notice. The Ministry assured the draft would be provided before the next meeting. Considering these factors, the bill was deferred. MNAs Zara Wadood Fatemi, Kiran Haider, Syed Hafeezuddin, Ali Muhammad Khan, Umair Khan Niazi, Hassan Sabir, Aliya Kamran, Sohail Sultan, Javid Hanif Khan, Minister of State for Law and Justice, secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, along with relevant staff attended the meeting. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill passed: Senior officials obliged to disclose all assets
ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Wednesday passed the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which makes it mandatory for senior government officials, ranging from BPS-17 to BPS-22, to disclose their assets as well as those held by their family members. The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, chaired by MNA Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk, passed the bill after thorough deliberation. The committee, by majority vote, recommended that the bill be approved by the National Assembly without changes. However, a group of committee members, including Changaze Ahmad Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, Umair Khan Niazi, Aliya Kamran, Sohail Sultan, and Sardar Latif Khosa, recorded their dissent and proposed amendments to the bill. According to the statements of objects and reasons of the bill, the proposed legislation aims at strengthening the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964—specifically Rules 12, 13, and 13-A—and align with the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. Under the bill, civil servants in higher grades will be required to digitally file asset declarations, including domestic and foreign assets beneficially owned by themselves or their immediate family members, it says. It says that these declarations would be publicly accessible, with safeguards to protect sensitive personal data such as ID numbers, residential addresses, and bank or bond account details. The bill proposes that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to manage the asset disclosure system, while the Establishment Division would be empowered to conduct risk-based verification using dedicated resources and tools, it says. The parliamentary body also consider the bill, 'The Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2025' moved by MNA Shazia Marri. After detailed deliberations on the contents and implications of the proposed amendments, the committee decided to defer further consideration of the Bill to the next meeting. The committee decided to allow the Ministry of Law and Justice sufficient time to furnish a comprehensive comparative analysis of relevant legal provisions across selected commonwealth countries, with a focus on best practices and alignment with international standards. Additionally, during the discussion, the Ministry of Law and Justice highlighted that the proposed amendments, if enacted, would be uniformly applicable to all provinces. In light of this, the committee emphasised the importance of obtaining input from all provincial governments to ensure inclusivity and to account for regional perspectives. The committee recommended that the ministry law formally seek and compile the views and comments, of all four provinces before the next meeting. MNAs, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Zara Wadood Fatemi, Kiran Haider, DrNafisa Shah, Syed Abrar Ali Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Hafeezuddin Changaze Ahmad Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, Umair Khan Niazi, Hassaan Sabir, Aliya Kamran, Sohail Sultan, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, Shazia Marri, Minister of State for Law and Justice and Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Special Secretary Establishment, along with staff attended the meeting. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
