Bill tabled in KP Assembly to reform criminal justice system

PESHAWAR: A bill aimed at reforming the criminal justice system was tabled in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday.

Minister for Finance and Health Taimur Salim Jhagra presented the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sentencing Bill, 2021 in the House. According to the bill, a court while awarding punishment to an accused shall consider the age and behaviour of the accused and keep in mind if punishment is awarded to an accused below 14 years of age. While in cases of terrorism and religious-based cases different aspects will be taken into consideration.

After the passage of the legislation, the government would constitute councils regarding sentences. The minister also introduced the KP Medical Transplantation Regularity Authority (amendment) Bill, 2021 in the House. The bill suggested enhancing punishment for the sale and purchase of human organs. It increased the fine from Rs1 million to five to 10 million and imprisonment of 10 to 14 years.

Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai introduced the KP Employees Social Security, Bill 2021 in the House while the KP Factories (Amendment), Bill, 2021 was passed. During debate on polio, it was told that poliovirus has been found in sewerage lines of many localities in the provincial capital.

Initiating the debate on her adjournment motion, Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that poliovirus was found in sewerage lines in Larama and Shaheen Muslim Town union councils. She said the province could not be made polio-free and there were fears of its spread.

Taking part in the debate, Sardar Hussain Babak of Awami National Party (ANP) said it was ironic that being a nuclear state Pakistan could not produce polio vaccine. He said that polio teams were being attacked in KP, adding that five attacks were carried out on vaccinators in the last two weeks.

Earlier, Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan asked Sardar Ranjeet Singh of JUI to leave the House when he started shouting after he was not allowed to speak on a point of order. The chair also asked Nighat Orakzai to get out of the House for making a noise.

The joint opposition staged a walkout from the House in solidarity with the opposition members. However, Shaukat Yousafzai and Law Minister Fazle Shakoor Khan persuaded them to return to the House. Adjourning the session till August 23, the chair congratulated the members for completing the 100 days proceedings of the parliamentary year.