ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice deferred consideration of several legislative bills due to procedural and administrative reasons.

The committee convened its 12th meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of MNA Ch. Mahmood Bashir Virk.

Two private member bills - Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Article 25) moved by MNA Nafeesa Shah and the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2024 (Section 54-A) - moved by MNA Sofia Saeed Shah were deferred owing to the absence of the respective movers.

The committee expressed concern over repeated delays and stated that no further deferments would be entertained. It was resolved that any future non-appearance by the movers would result in the bills being taken up and decided upon in their absence.

The consideration of Qanun-i-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill 2025, moved by MNA Shazia Marri, was also postponed. Although a redrafted version of the bill was presented following earlier discussions, members of the committee observed that the revised draft contained substantive amendments and required a thorough examination.

Consequently, deliberation on the bill was deferred until the next meeting to allow members sufficient time for review.

Furthermore, the committee reviewed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Article 140-A), introduced by MNA Mohammad Jawed Hanif Khan. It was noted with concern that no responses had been received from any provincial governments or parliamentary leaders despite formal correspondence seeking their views.

The committee directed the Secretariat to issue reminders to the concerned stakeholders to expedite their feedback. The committee reiterated its commitment to legislative scrutiny while urging all stakeholders to actively participate in the process to avoid unnecessary delays in the passage of important legal reforms.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2025