ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Interior Thursday unanimously passed “the criminal law (Amendment) bill 2020” aimed at maintaining the prestige of the national flag and the portrait of founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam.
The bill was moved by Senator Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah while the committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz.
The bill said, “Whoever deliberately defiles or puts on fire the portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan or un-authorizedly removes it from any office or premises or other property of Government, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years but shall not be less than six months, or with fine which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees, or with both.”
The senators were unanimous on the bill and also strongly condemned destroying of statue of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in a bomb attack in Balochistan.
According to the statement of objects and reason, the objective of this bill is to keep prestige of the national flag and the portrait of founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam.
Defiling of national flag is already a criminal offence in the Pakistan penal code but enhancement in its punishment has been proposed in the bill in order to make it more detrimental.
Moreover, a new section has been proposed in order to penalize the defiling of portrait of founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Director General Passport Dr. Naeem Rauf briefed the committee about the functioning of passport office and said, the office had issued 2, 406, 495 passports during 2020-21. He said that about 2, 384 people had been issued extension of visa during the same period.
The official of Excise and Taxation Office (ETO) briefed the committee about organizational structure and functioning of excise and taxation office.