Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control has expressed serious concerns over the worsening law and order situation in Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, discussed the security situation. Some senators suggested summoning the relevant provincial authorities to the committee.
Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha assured full cooperation in organizing meetings in the provinces. However, PPP Senator Shahadat Awan emphasized that law and order is a provincial subject, and monitoring provincial affairs is not the committee’s responsibility. He suggested that the federal government could raise the issue with the provinces.
Senator Sherry Rehman highlighted that people have lost loved ones due to terrorism, recalling that the issue was also raised during discussions on the 18th Amendment. She stressed the need for a detailed discussion on the matter, as millions of lives are at stake, making it a national issue.
The committee also discussed the rising crime rate in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and fraudulent calls received by senators.
Inspector General (IG) ICT, Syed Nasir Ali Rizvi, informed the committee that a gang involved in fraudulent calls had been arrested. During the investigation, it was found that the culprits used Truecaller and iON applications to make fake calls. The committee appreciated the IG’s efforts in handling the issue effectively.
The committee unanimously approved the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024.
Senator Mohsin Aziz, who presented the Pakistan Penal Code Bill, stated that its purpose is to increase punishments for rape convicts to eradicate this menace from society.
Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri highlighted that the Criminal Laws Bill aims to prevent the heinous crime of necrophilia, proposing strict punishments for offenders.
The committee also reviewed several other bills proposed by different senators. However, some bills were postponed due to delays and lack of transparency in responses from the Ministry of Interior and Law Division.
Among the postponed bills were:
• Anti-Narcotics (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Senator Mohsin Aziz)
• Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Senator Fauzia Arshad)
• Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Presented by Minister of Interior Mohsin Naqvi through Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar)
• Shamilat Land Protection Bill 2024 (Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan)
• Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Senator Mohsin Aziz)
• Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan)
The committee received a briefing on the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Scouts. Officials stated that the GB Scouts were primarily responsible for securing the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and protecting Chinese workers. Additionally, they engage with local youth and contribute to health and education initiatives.
The committee appreciated the GB Scouts’ role in maintaining security and pledged support for their future initiatives.
The Director General of Anti-Narcotics Force (DG ANF) discussed the alarming rise in drug use in educational institutions, emphasizing the force’s efforts to combat this crisis.
He highlighted the importance of provincial coordination in making institutions drug-free. The committee chairman acknowledged the ANF’s efforts and assured full support in eliminating this menace.
