NA body adopts Qanun-e-Shahadat Amendment Bill

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice Thursday adopted the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill,2022 (Government Bill). The committee, which met with Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk in the chair, recommended that the Qanun-e-Shahadat Amendment Bill should be passed by the National Assembly. The Committee did not consider The Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill,2022; The Public Properties (Removal of Encroachment) Ordinance,2021 and The Constitution (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, (Government Bills), and deferred the same at the request of the Ministry. The committee after a detailed deliberation deferred The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Article 140-A) till the next meeting with the recommendation that the Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan in consultation with the Ministry of Law and justice should propose a proper solution to address the concerns of its mover Ms Kishwar Zehra. It also considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Article 84) moved by Syed Hussain Tariq. During deliberations, the members observed with grave concern that the Secretary Finance had not attended the meeting. Furthermore, the brief provided to the committee was not well before time and was ambiguous. The committee directed the Secretary Finance to attend the next meeting personally and also provide a clear and detailed brief well before time. The committee considered Question No 61, under Rule 199 moved by Ms Shugufta Jumani: The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Article 51,59 & 106) moved by Noor Alam Khan; and High Courts (Establishment)(Amendment) Bill,2021 moved by Mohsin Dawar, and recommended that the bills/matters should not be passed by the Assembly. Besides members of National Assembly including Ms Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, Ms Zahra Wadood Fatemi, Ms. Nafeesa Shah, Ms. Aliya Kamran, Ms. Kishwar Zehra, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani and Syed Hussain Tariq, the Secretary Law and Justice, Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and representatives of the Finance Division also attended the meeting.