ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Tuesday passed The Limitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which seeks to extend from seven to 30 days the time period to file an appeal against the death sentence.

Syed Javed Hasnain from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is the mover of the bill cleared by the NA committee in its meeting presided over by Riaz Fatyana from the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The bill seeks to amend the Section 150 of the Limitations Act, 1908, to extend from seven to 30 days the time to file an appeal against the death sentence (from the day of the award of the sentence).

The committee considered 16 legislative bills in total and deferred 14 of them till the next meeting while clearing one bill and forwarding one bill to the Legislative Drafting Council for its review.

During the meeting, the committee reviewed The Transfer of Evacuee Land (Kachi Abadi) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, (Section 13) moved by Fatyana, the committee’s Chairman. After detailed deliberations, the committee members were of the view that similar bills have already been referred by Speaker, National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, to the Legislative Drafting Council, hence, the same was also forwarded for consideration of the Council.

The committee considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 20l9, (Article 179), The Recognition and Enforcement (Arbitration Agreements and Foreign Arbitral Awards) (Amendment) Bill, 2019, The Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 20l9, (Amendment in Article 22) and The Defamation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, moved by Amjad Ali Khan from PTI, and deferred the same due to non-availability of the mover.

The committee considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020, (Amendment in Article 239) and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019, (Amendment in Article l40), moved by Kishwar Zehra from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and deferred the same due to non-availability of the mover.

The committee also considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019, (Article 89), moved by Abdul Qadir Patel from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and deferred the same due to non-availability of the mover.

Moreover, the NA committee considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020,(Amendment in Third Schedule), moved by Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha from PML-N and deferred the same till next meeting.

The NA panel also considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020, (Article 259), moved by Choudhry Faqir Ahmad from PML-N, and deferred the same till next meeting for further discussion.

The NA considered “The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2020,(Amendment in Section 5)”, moved by Dr Nafisa Shah from PPP and deferred the same till next meeting for further discussion.

The committee considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Article 27-A), moved by Agha Rafiullah from PPP, and deferred the same till next meeting for further discussion.

The committee also considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2019, (Article l5l), moved by Junaid Akbar from PTI, and deferred the same till next meeting for further discussion.

Lastly, the NA committee considered The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020, (Amendment in Article 251) and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (Amendment in Article 25A), moved by Kesoo Mal Das from PML-N, and deferred the same on the request of the mover.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020