Law Committee Defers Key Constitutional Bills

News Desk

Islamabad: The 8th meeting of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice, held on Friday, deferred the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2024, at the request of the Ministry. The Committee also deferred the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 25), moved by Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA, until relevant opinions are received from the concerned quarters.

The Committee deliberated on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 198), moved by Changaze Ahmad Khan, MNA. After thorough discussions, the majority of members rejected the bill, citing concerns that it would encroach upon provincial autonomy and disrupt the balance of power between federal and provincial governments.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 175A & 215), was also deferred due to the non-availability of the mover, Asad Qaiser, MNA.

Regarding the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Article 9-A), moved by Amjad Ali Khan, MNA, the majority of the Committee members rejected the bill, stressing that the subject matter is already sufficiently addressed under the Principles of Policy in the Constitution and falls within the domain of provincial governments.

The Committee reviewed the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Section 54-A), moved by Sofia Saeed Shah, MNA. It was noted that the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020, and a pending amendment to the Land Revenue Act already address the concerns raised in the bill. The Committee deferred further consideration pending discussions with the mover.

The meeting was attended by several members, including MNAs Bilal Azhar Kayani, Muhammad Moeen Watto, Zara Wadood Fatemi, and others, along with the Minister for Law and Justice and the Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Justice.