ISLAMABAD, Aug 13 (APP): The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior held its third meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA.
The session commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a solemn tribute to Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Zakir Baloch, who was tragically assassinated in Mastung district on Monday evening. The Committee then proceeded with its agenda.
The Committee reviewed several bills during the meeting. The “Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024” (Section 462O) was introduced but deferred until the next meeting. Similarly, the “Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was also deferred. The “Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” presented by Ms. Sehar Kamran, MNA, was referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology for expert opinion. In contrast, the “Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2024” was discussed and approved by the Committee.
The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad, provided an update on several major infrastructure projects. These included the Islamabad Expressway expansion, Bhindhar Bridge, Japan Road underpass, Saon Bridge, and various other significant developments. However, the Chairman highlighted a pressing issue: a shortage of funds for these ongoing projects.
In response, the Committee expressed a keen interest in visiting the development sites to assess progress firsthand. It also directed the CDA to provide detailed information on charges collected from private societies for express highway access and to address outdated rules and regulations related to zoning and building bylaws. Furthermore, the Committee requested a comprehensive report on land allocated by private societies for public amenities such as graveyards and parks.
Additionally, the Committee was briefed on a rainwater harvesting project in rural areas of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which aims to enhance cultivation through dam construction, costing Rs. 115.296 million. The Committee decided to hold a separate meeting on the Charah Dam project with CDA and relevant Punjab Government departments to review its progress.
The meeting also covered issues beyond infrastructure. The Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) provided an update on a complaint involving social media blogger Mr. Mushtaq Sarki. The Committee urged the FIA to intensify efforts against social media misuse and recommended exploring amendments to enhance cybercrime laws.
Finally, the representative from the Home Department, Government of Sindh, updated the Committee on the merger of a police check-post in Gulshan Sikanderabad into the District Keamari jurisdiction in Karachi. The Committee advised the Home Department to take necessary actions and report back in the next session.
The meeting was attended by Hon. Members/MNAs including Mr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Mr. Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Syed Rafiullah, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, Khawaja Izhar Ul Hassan, Mr. Nisar Ahmed, Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, Mr. Jamshaid Ahmed, Muhammad Arshid Sahi, Ms. Sehar Kamran, and senior officials from various ministries and departments.
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