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Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Senate axes death penalty in select offences
Listen to article The Senate on Friday passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025, eliminating the death penalty for public assault of women, including disrobing, and for harbouring a hijacker, and replacing it with a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The House, which met with Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir in the chair, also passed two other bills seeking amendments to the Extradition Act, 1972, and the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951. All three bills were tabled by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025, proposes changes to Sections 354-A and 402-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). However, opposition Senators Ali Zafar and Samina Mumtaz Zehri opposed the bill. In response, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the House that the severity of punishment did not necessarily deter crime. "Giving the death penalty does not reduce crimes," he said. "We have a very high crime rate, so we have to fix our system," he added. He referred to an incident during the regime of former military ruler Gen Ziaul Haq, in which village elders had torn the clothes off a woman. "This law was then passed by the martial law administrator," he recalled, adding that life imprisonment remained a very serious punishment. "I request that we should end the terrible gift of the martial law era," the law minister told the House. He suggested that apart from the four punishments of death given in Sharia under Hudood laws, there should be no other capital punishment. Regarding the Extradition (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Tarar said the extradition law was bilateral. In Pakistan, the extradition process involves five stages, beginning with cabinet approval. "And after an inquiry, the federal government finally approves the extradition," he said. He explained that the bill abolished the requirement of cabinet approval at the initial stage. "The cases are processed under the Extradition Act, 1972, and have to be forwarded to the Federal Cabinet twice, which takes considerable time due to the busy schedule of cabinet business," he noted. The statement of objectives of the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill highlighted that a large number of overseas Pakistanis were forced to renounce their citizenship to acquire the nationality of a foreign country for residence or legal stay. However, when such countries later entered into dual nationality arrangements with Pakistan, there was no provision in the Citizenship Act allowing them to resume Pakistani citizenship. The amendment now provides the legal cover to allow the diaspora to reclaim their citizenship. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar introduced the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as reported by the relevant standing committee. The statement of objectives of the bill said the act had been amended to provide a comprehensive framework for the board to organise, regulate, conduct and oversee intermediate and secondary education in line with international best practices. The proposed amendments aim to facilitate swift and flexible decision-making while enabling the board to establish international collaborations. The board's composition has also been revised to adopt a more inclusive structure. Speaking on the bill, Tarar said steps had been taken to reduce the workload on the federal government, with several responsibilities delegated from the federal cabinet. He added that provincial representation had also been ensured in the restructured board. During the proceedings, Senator Humayun Mohmand informed the House that private recruiting agencies had sent Pakistani girls to Serbia, where they were allegedly forced into prostitution. He demanded that the matter be referred to the relevant committee. Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik responded by stating that the Pakistani mission had no role in sending girls to Serbia. He revealed that 38 individuals from Pakistan had gone there for jobs in fruit and vegetable farms. The matter was later referred to the relevant committee by the chair. Separately, Senator Abdul Shakoor drew the House's attention to "looting by private medical colleges". Barrister Malik also tabled the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority Ordinance, 2025. The session was later adjourned until Monday.
Express Tribune
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Senate session turns critical over budget
The federal budget for fiscal year 2025-26 came under fire in the Senate on Friday, with lawmakers from both treasury and opposition benches denouncing it. Issues affecting minority communities in Sindh and the ongoing situation in Balochistan also featured prominently in the session. The house, chaired by Deputy Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir, briefly witnessed a boycott by opposition members due to the absence of any minister. Debate on the budget resumed after the arrival of Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Chaudhry. Senator Dinesh Kumar highlighted the alleged kidnapping of three girls and a boy from the minority community in Sindh. "It is being heard that these girls were being forcibly converted," he told the house, urging the Sindh police chief to take immediate notice of the incident. Responding, the deputy chairman directed the Sindh chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit a report and further instructed that the officers meet Senator Kumar to address his concerns. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Waqar Mehdi informed the house that "the girls had been recovered" and would be presented before the relevant court in Karachi. He assured that "there would be no discrimination against minorities". Maulana Attaur Rehman endorsed Senator Kumar's concerns and called for accountability from the Sindh government. Senator Raja Nasir Abbas added: "There is no compulsion in religion and kidnapping of girls is wrong." Senator Khalil Tahir Sindhu pointed out that the budget contained no allocations for minorities or interfaith harmony. The deputy chairman responded by advising him to take up the matter within his own party, since he belonged to the ruling coalition. Senator Khaleda Ateeb raised the issue of a tragic dumper accident in Karachi that claimed the lives of a woman and her daughter. "Why is the dumper mafia so strong in Karachi?" she asked. Senator Mehdi replied that the provincial government was making efforts to enforce traffic laws. Senator Jan Muhammad Buledi urged the government to play a greater role in efforts to stop the Iran-Israel conflict. He warned that "Israel wanted to change the government in Iran and bring its puppets there". He also criticised the budget for ignoring Balochistan, saying: "Balochistan cannot be ignored. We should have had a plan to fix the situation in Balochistan. Take Balochistan seriously." In response, Law Minister Tarar reiterated that Balochistan was a high priority for the government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Express Tribune
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
3 PTI MPs suspended for rowdy protest
Acting Senate Chairman Syedal Khan Nasir on Tuesday suspended three PTI lawmakers for the current session, after the opposition's rowdy protest in the house, including sloganeering for his resignation Nasir, the acting chairman, suspended senators Aun Abbas, Humayun Mohmand, and Falak Naz Chitrali and ordered their removal from the house. He said that he would run the house as per law and would not give in to the opposition's demands. At the outset of the session, Nasir gave an explanation and ruling on Monday's incident. He said that the gestures made the other day were not meant to hurt anyone's feelings. He also ordered for expunging his remarks from the proceedings. He said that three opposition members gave inappropriate statements, but he would not suspend them for that. He announced that the State Bank Amendment Bill was in conflict with Article 74 of the Constitution, adding that he was postponing the bill until those constitutional issues were resolved. However, Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz objected, saying that as per the Senate Rules, the chair was supposed to announce the result of the voting. Faraz demanded the resignation of Nasir, alleging that he used derogatory remarks against the opposition. Later, the opposition senators gathered in front of the dais and raised slogans, demanding Nasir's resignation and return of the Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani to the house. Nasir said that he would not run the house on anyone's wishes, and announced the Question Hour. However, the opposition members continued their vociferous protest. The parliamentary affairs minister criticised the opposition. Nasir also mocked the opposition saying that this was their training.
