Event Title: Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice

Event Date: 2021-08-04

The meeting was chaired by Senator Syed Ali Zafar. Members who attended were Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, Senator Faooq Hamid Naek, Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Senator Musadik Masood Malik, Senator Syed Shibli Faraz, and senior officers from the Ministry of Law and Justice along with all concerned. Minister Law and Justice, Mr. Farogh Naseem was present as well. 

Deliberation entailed over the bills titled the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Bill; the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021; and the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill 2021.  

Discussing the International Court of Justice (Review and Reconsideration) Bill the Committee recommended that the Bill must not be restricted to foreign nationals but must also be extended to Pakistani citizens.  The Bill has put Kulbhushan Yadev on a pedestal which is not conducive to the security environment of Pakistan.  The principles of parity must not be violated.  Members also debated that the right of appeal must be revoked.  Addressing the concerns of the members, Minister Law and Justice, Mr. Farogh Naseem informed the Committee that the Ministry had worked relentlessly on the Bill and done a lot of background research on it. However, it welcomed suggestions of the Committee. He further added that any further queries could be forwarded to the Ministry in writing so that these could be addressed in detail. He said that the  Bill must be reviewed in light of national interest.

Evaluating the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill 2021 and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021; the Committee recommended a clause to clause review of both the Bills.  The need for two different sessions for this was stressed.  Members lauded the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill 2021, however suggested that lacunas must be minutely addressed.  It was recommended that the ambit of the Bill must be expanded to ensure that all victims’ regardless ethnicity and gender are included.  It was also recommended that injustices against women of rural origin in the case of Karo Kari and other such phenomena were addressed.  Third party reportage of crime was encouraged.