ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control has deferred consideration of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025, deciding to circulate the draft for stakeholder feedback within 30 days.
The primary objective of the bill is to amend the law of evidence, aligning it with existing statutes while addressing present-day requirements.
The meeting, held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of MNA Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, was briefed by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar. He said that although significant work had been done, further improvements were needed to meet public requirements. He noted that multiple committees had worked on the bill but did not finalise it due to changes in government.
Under the proposed framework, an inquiry conducted by the station house officer (SHO) would be reviewed by a district-level committee under the district police officer (DPO) to determine whether an FIR should be registered. The minister sought a special meeting for further deliberations. The committee stressed the importance of consulting stakeholders, particularly Bar councils. The chair supported this approach, stating it would enhance the legislation’s credibility and effectiveness. The bill was accordingly deferred.
The committee also deferred the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2025, due to the absence of the minister/ MNA from Islamabad, who was engaged in official commitments.
Similarly, the Corrosive Substances Assault (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2024, moved by MNA Sharmila Faruqui, was deferred at the mover’s request to allow more time for departmental input. The Islamabad Capital Territory Dowry Restraint Bill, 2025, also moved by Faruqui, was deferred for further consultation between the mover and the ICT administration. The committee directed ICT authorities to complete these consultations before the next meeting.
Conversely, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, was considered and recommended for passage by the assembly with amendments.