NA passes Societies Registration (Amendment), Criminal Laws (Amendment) bills 2025

ISLAMABAD, Aug 06 (APP): The National Assembly on Wednesday passed two bills including the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 as passed by the Senate.
Both the bills were moved by Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Talal Chauhdry in the House.
According to the statement of objects and reasons of Societies Registration Bill 2025, Deeni Madaris have been registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. However, it is proposed that those Madaris and Wafaqs already registered or desirous to get registered directly with Directorate General of Religious Education, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional training shall be reckoned to have been registered.
The statement of objects and reasons of the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025 says that in an effort to comply with the requirements of GSP+, and Pakistan’s international commitments under ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), three meetings with all stakeholders were held—to review reduction of the death penalty in order to bring it in line with international law and Islamic jurisprudence. The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control proposed the draft Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, proposing omission of death penalty from Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 with an alternative punishment of life imprisonment in the relevant sections, the statement added.
Alyia Kamran of JUI-F sought to refer the bill to the standing committee for further deliberation but the House passed the motion with 87 votes in its favour while 41 against it.
The House passed the bills through clause by clause reading.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said that harsh sentences did not necessarily deter crime. He said European countries where death penalty did not exist, yet the crime rate was just two per cent.
Moreover, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah referred the Whistleblower Protection and Vigilance Commission Bill, 2025 to the concern standing committee with a direction to report back within 15 days to House.
The Law Minister informed the House that the bill was passed by the Senate but it could not process due to dissolution of the National Assembly.
He said that the bill aimed at bringing transparency in government departments. He requested the chair to refer the bill to the committee but with specific time to report back to the House.
Meanwhile, Talal Chaudhry moved the motion to refer the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to the joint sitting for consideration and passage under sub rule (7) of the rule 154 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 read with clause (3) of Article 70 of the constitution.
APP/raz-rzr