Draft law tabled in Senate to protect whistleblowers

ISLAMABAD: The government in the Senate Friday moved a bill to provide for establishment of Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission.

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar introduced the bill in the House, which was referred by the chair to the House standing committee concerned for consideration and report.

According to the bill, whereas it is expedient to provide for establishment of the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission in order to facilitate a mechanism for whistleblower information relating to corruption and to protect whistleblowers from disadvantageous measures and to give them rewards for such whistleblower information and for matters connected therewith and ancillary thereto.

This Act shall be called the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Act, 2025, and it shall extend to the whole of Pakistan and come into force at once.

The headquarters of the Commission shall be at Islamabad and it may establish offices at such other places in Pakistan as it considers necessary. The Commission shall be administratively and functionally independent and the government shall use its best efforts to promote, enhance and maintain the independence of the Commission.

The Commission shall consist of at least three members including a Chairperson and the government shall have power to increase the number of members from time to time as it may consider appropriate.