Islamabad: The 6th meeting of the Standing Committee on Interior was convened under the leadership of Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, MNA. The meeting began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by discussions on various agenda items.
According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Section 489F) presented by Mr. Sohail Sultan, MNA, was deferred by the committee until feedback from the provinces is received. Similarly, the West Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order (Repeal) Bill, 2024, introduced by Sahibzada Sibghatullah, MNA, was also postponed due to pending provincial feedback.
The Director General of the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) informed the committee about human smuggling networks recently identified by the FIA. Overseas Employment Promoters from cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi were implicated, and notices have been issued to them. The investigation, which requires cooperation from offices in Romania, is expected to take six to seven months for completion.
The Director General of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) provided a briefing on appointments, resignations, terminations, workforce statistics, deputation, revenue generation, and audits over the past five years. NADRA’s workforce currently comprises 20,577 employees, with 202 officers hired and 60 officers dismissed in the last five years. Revenue generation increased from Rs. 23.55 billion in 2019-20 to Rs. 57.00 billion in 2023-24.
Addressing a query from the August House, the Director General of NADRA discussed the demand for more NADRA facilitation centers in Karachi’s districts. There are currently 26 National Registration Centers (NRCs) and 3 Mega NRCs operational in Karachi, with plans to open an additional NRC and 4 Mega NRCs during 2024-25. The committee stressed the importance of establishing NADRA facilitation centers at the Tehsil level nationwide.
The Additional Inspector General and Commandant of Punjab Police presented data on rape cases involving minors over the past five years, covering protocols from reporting to prosecution. From 2020 to 2024, 8,306 cases were registered, resulting in 6,950 arrests, 299 convictions, 1,736 acquittals, 1,088 discharges, and 3,827 ongoing trials.
The committee also reviewed the “Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (Section 462O)” and urged the Ministry to include a clause for filing FIRs against responsible employees and distribution companies in cases of wrongful billing. Additionally, the bill should specify usage/theft slabs and differentiate between residential, commercial, and industrial users.
The meeting was attended by Hon. Members, MNAs, and senior officers from various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Interior, FIA, NADRA, Punjab Police, and others.