Islamabad: The 17th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control was held on September 24, 2025, at 02:00 p.m. in Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA.
The Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Mr. Azam Nazeer Tarar, briefed the Committee on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025. He stated that although significant work had been carried out on the Bill, it still required improvements to meet the needs of the public. The primary objective of the Bill was to amend the law of evidence, aligning it with previous laws while addressing present-day requirements. He informed the Committee that sixty-five amendments had already been made and multiple committees in the past had worked on it but failed to finalize due to changes in governments. Under the new framework, the concerned SHO would conduct an inquiry, which would then be reviewed by a District-level Committee under the DPO to determine whether an FIR should be registered. He requested a special meeting for further deliberations on the Bill to be convened.
The Committee stressed the importance of stakeholder consultation, particularly with Bar Councils, and agreed to circulate the draft Bill for feedback within thirty days. The Chair supported this approach, noting that it would enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the legislation. The Bill was accordingly deferred to the Committee's next meeting.
The Committee also deferred the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill), due to the absence of the concerned Minister/MNA from Islamabad, who was engaged in official commitments. Similarly, the Corrosive Substances Assault (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2024, moved by Ms. Sharmila Faruqui, MNA, was deferred at the request of the mover, who sought more time to include departmental input. The Islamabad Capital Territory Dowry Restraint Bill, 2025, also moved by Ms. Sharmila Faruqui, was deferred for further consultation between the mover and ICT administration. The Committee directed ICT authorities to complete consultations with the mover before the next meeting. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2025, was considered and recommended by the Committee for passage by the Assembly with amendments.
The Director General of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) then briefed the Committee on ANF's mandate, organization, operations, national coverage, international cooperation, and drug interdiction efforts. He also highlighted challenges such as misuse of courier services for drug trafficking. The Committee deliberated extensively on the matter and recommended stronger regulatory mechanisms for courier and logistics companies, including mandatory identification and tracking systems. It was agreed that these recommendations would be forwarded to the relevant ministries, particularly the Cabinet Division and the Ministry of Communications, for necessary action.
The Committee also expressed deep concern over the reported misbehavior with the President, Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), and its members by the SHO of Police Station Banigala, Islamabad who had allegedly kept them in custody without lawful grounds. The Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control assured the Committee that a report on the incident would be obtained and submitted.
Further, the Committee directed the police to investigate reports of transformer thefts in Islamabad and submit findings through the DIGP, Islamabad. It also considered issues pertaining to land grabbing in the Intelligence Bureau Employees Cooperative Housing Society (IBECHS), Islamabad. The Committee noted with concern the absence of the Secretary and President of the society, and directed the Deputy Commissioner and Circle Registrar of Cooperative Housing Societies to attend the next meeting along with the society's Secretary and President bringing complete details on land grabbers. The Committee further directed that no female member be subjected to violence by society officials and that a detailed report on plot allotments also be submitted.
The Committee additionally instructed the provision of a comprehensive report on the National Assembly Secretariat Employees Cooperative Housing Society (NASECHS). It was noted that officials of Jinnah Garden Housing Society had prevented NASECHS officials from entering the society despite clear court orders, which the Committee strongly condemned.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mr. Anjum Aqeel Khan, Chaudhry Naseer Ahmed Abbas, Ms. Nosheen Iftikhar, Syed Rafiullah, Haji Jamal Shah Kakar, Sardar Nabeel Ahmed Gabol, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Khawaja Izhar Ul Hassan, and Ms. Sharmila Sahiba Faruqui Hashaam, MNA. Senior officers from the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, Ministry of Law and Justice, FIA, ANF, Islamabad Police, and Capital Development Authority also attended.