
The 8th meeting of the Standing Committee on Interior was convened today, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA/Chairman, at the Parliament House in Islamabad. The committee deliberated on various legislative matters and issues related to interior affairs.
The committee discussed “The Naturalization (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (sections 3-9, 11 & 12) and “The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (sections 9A, 164A, 366A, and 497), both moved by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA. These bills were recommended for passage by the National Assembly.
Additionally, the committee reviewed “The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (section 14A), “The Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill, 2024,” and “The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (section 498 AA), moved by Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah, MNA. These bills were deferred to the next meeting. Starred Question No. 13, moved by Ms. Aliya Kamran, MNA, was also deferred due to her absence.
The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) provided a briefing on Starred Question No. 141, moved by Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA, updating the committee on the Master Plan of Islamabad. The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the hiring of international firms, considering it a misuse of taxpayers’ money. The Chair emphasized the importance of engaging local professional experts, town planners, and reputable firms for the timely finalization of the Master Plan of Islamabad.
The committee also voiced significant displeasure over the imposition of heavy fees and fines on unregistered vehicles. The Ministry of Interior was directed to cancel Notification No.5 (12)-Law/2021 1-Vol-11.1721 dated August 2, 2024, and refund the collected amounts to the public in line with the committee’s previous recommendations. Additionally, the committee recommended a one-time relaxation for new registrations and a token late fee for three months. The Ministry was instructed to consult with relevant departments and stakeholders to revisit the increased slabs and formulate a standardized registration fee structure.
The Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was asked to brief the committee on the government’s current policy and strategies for addressing human trafficking cases in the country. The Chair instructed the DG FIA to prepare and present a legislative draft for stricter punishments for agents involved in human trafficking and to fix responsibility on FIA officials found complicit in such cases.
The committee also directed the Circle Registrar of Cooperative Housing Societies, ICT, Islamabad, to resolve the complaint of Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain Khawar regarding the non-possession of Plot No. 10, Street No. 275, and Plot No. 35, Street No. 269, in FECHS Jinnah Garden, Islamabad.
The committee confirmed the minutes of the previous meeting held on December 9, 2024.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, Mr. Mohammad Jamal Ahsan Khan, Mr. Nisar Ahmed, Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, Mr. Muhammad Arshad Sahi, Mr. Jamshaid Ahmed, Syed Rafiullah, Sardar Nabeel Ahmed Gabol, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Khawaja Izhar Ul Hassan, Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, Ms. Zartaj Gul, and Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, MNAs. Also in attendance were Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah, MNAs/Movers, and senior officers from the Ministry of Interior.