Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control unanimously approved the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025, recommending amendments in relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to streamline prosecution and punishment of offenders involved in street crimes. The Committee was of the view that amendments in Sections 382A of PPC and 181 of CrPC would create strong deterrence against criminals and ensure public safety. The meeting was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA.

The Committee was briefed by the mover of the Bill, Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan, MNA, who stated that the proposed legislation aims to address the growing menace of street crimes involving violence, intimidation, and coercion in public spaces by introducing stringent legal and procedural measures. The amendments would apply to all individuals involved in the commission, facilitation, or concealment of street crimes.

While considering the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Committee decided to invite officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan in its next meeting to discuss the Bill and concerns raised by members, particularly regarding delimitation of constituencies for local government elections in Islamabad. The Minister of State for Interior supported the decision.

The Committee deferred discussion on the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill) to the next meeting and directed the Ministry of Law to seek opinions from Bar Councils. It also decided not to recommend the ICT Dowry Restraint Bill, 2025 and the Islamabad (Preservation of Landscape) Bill, 2025 for passage, noting that relevant laws already exist and stressing strict implementation instead of further legislation.

Additionally, while discussing a Calling Attention Notice regarding delays in compensation for land acquired by the Capital Development Authority in various Islamabad sectors, the Committee directed CDA to present a workable proposal in the next meeting, emphasizing that affected landowners must be adequately compensated.