NA urged to shun legislative lethargy

Published September 15, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency has urged the National Assembly to delete the provisions of establishing anti-money laundering special courts under the law as it amounts to establishing a parallel judiciary.

The system of special courts for anti-money laundering crimes did not work in India when it was introduced in 2002, said the legislative brief of Pildat, an NGO, on Friday.

The government promulgated the law through a presidential ordinance on Sunday.

The NGO has demanded of the National Assembly and its standing committee on finance to shun the legislative lethargy and pass the law through an act of parliament pending with it for the last two years.

The bill gives the executive--the government-- the arbitrary power to add any offence to the schedule of predicate offences attached to the bill.

PILDAT has demanded that this power be subjected to a legislative review.

While launching the brief on the Anti-Money Laundering Bill, 2005, the NGO noted that the bill was introduced in the National Assembly on Sept 22, 2005, and the NA standing committee was supposed to submit its report to the National Assembly in October 2005, but it was done despite a lapse of two years.

Both India and Bangladesh enacted their money laundering prevention laws in 2002.

Opinion

Editorial

GB polls’ aftermath
Updated 11 Jun, 2026

GB polls’ aftermath

The new administration must address the region’s issues proactively.
Peace in retreat
11 Jun, 2026

Peace in retreat

THE ceasefire announced in April was supposed to create space for negotiations. Instead, it has been repeatedly...
A few good men
11 Jun, 2026

A few good men

IT was a brave move, no doubt. This Tuesday, in the land of the Afghan Taliban, a few good men decided to take a...
Centre vs provinces
Updated 10 Jun, 2026

Centre vs provinces

The reason the centre finds itself in this position is rooted in its failure to expand the tax net and boost revenues.
Party in crisis
10 Jun, 2026

Party in crisis

THE young KP chief minister must be starting to realise just how thorny a seat he occupies. There has been a flurry...
Varsity woes
10 Jun, 2026

Varsity woes

FINANCIAL crises affecting public sector universities across Pakistan are now having an impact on academic...