The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice Monday deliberated upon the Publication of Laws of Pakistan (Regulation) Bill 2015 and recommended setting up of a board of directors instead of proposed 'Laws of Pakistan Cell' for reviewing, registration and certification of proposed publication.
The committee which met with Raja Muhammad Zafar ul Haq in the chair, asked Ministry of Law and Justice to propose formation of board of directors for reviewing, registration and certification of proposed publication instead of setting up of 'Laws of Pakistan Cell' for the purpose and produce the bill during the next meeting for approval. The bill was introduced by Minister for Law and Justice Senator Pervaiz Rashid on December 23, 2015.
Senator Nawabzada Saifullah Magsi proposed recommendation of establishment of board of directors instead of Laws of Pakistan cell headed by directors which were seconded by all other members of the committee.
A senior official of Ministry of Law and justice informed the committee that a person publishes a law of Pakistan in violation of all or any of the requirements under section 15, he would pay a fine of an amount of which may be extend to Rs 50,000. A person would pay a fine up to Rs 100,000 if he did not publish on the paper prescribed by the cell or board of directors, he said.
He said that any person who publishes a law of Pakistan without registration under this bill shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months and fine which may be extend to RS 300,000. Any person who publishes a law without obtaining review and certificate of accuracy under this bill shall be punished with imprisonment for one month and a fine of Rs 100000, he said.
The committee approved the structure proposed for penalties and asked the Ministry of Law to present the bill in the next meeting.
Waseem Ahmed Khan Member Planning & Design Capital Development Authority (CDA) while briefing the committee about the violations committed by Housing societies in Islamabad in planning and allocation of land for community, said that sponsors of the housing schemes made changes in the approved Layout Plan (LoP) without the approval of CDA and public amenity areas or land approved for community services usually changed into commercial or residential and for other purposes. He said that the authority had issued notices to four housing schemes for violating CDA laws and forwarded cases to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for registration of FIR against sponsors of the schemes including Pakistan Medical Co-operative Housing Society E-II, Khyaban-e-Kashmir housing scheme, Multi Gardens housing schemes and Soan Garden housing scheme in Zone-V.
Raja Zafar-ul-Haq directed member CDA to submit a detail report regarding the progress made in cases registered against four housing scheme during the next meeting. He also issued directives to call FIA and NAB in the next meeting.
The committee also deliberated upon "The un-attended orphans (Rehabilitation and welfare) bill, 2013 introduced by Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja and "The Patents (Amendment) bill, 2015" introduced by in the senate on January 1, 2016.
The meeting was also attended by Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Saleem Zia senior official of CDA and Ministry of Law and justice.