Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Law Minister Aftab Alam has said the provincial government is accelerating the process of legal reforms to provide speedy, transparent, effective, and accessible justice to the public.
Chairing a meeting of the Legislative Committee on Tuesday in Peshawar, the minister said the reform agenda was being pursued in line with the vision of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan and the directives of Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi.
He said legislative reforms, a transparent taxation system, improvements in the judicial system, and institutional reforms remained among the government’s top priorities.
Aftab Alam said every proposed law and amendment was being thoroughly examined in accordance with constitutional, legal, and administrative requirements before finalization to avoid future legal and administrative complications.
He directed the relevant departments to ensure that public interest, transparency, constitutional requirements, and effective implementation remained central to the legislative process.
The committee reviewed the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Immovable Property Tax Bill 2026, the Code of Criminal Procedure (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Amendment Bill 2025, and proposed amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Subordinate Judiciary Service Tribunal Act, 1991.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel, Secretary Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Khalid Ilyas, and senior officials from the Law, Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control, Finance, Establishment, and Home departments, the Advocate General Office, Peshawar district administration, and other relevant departments.
Participants conducted a detailed review of the legal, administrative, and financial aspects of the Urban Immovable Property Tax Bill 2026 to make the taxation system more transparent, efficient, and public-friendly.
Following detailed deliberations, the Legislative Committee finalized the proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Amendment Bill 2025 and decided to present the draft legislation to the provincial cabinet for approval at its next meeting.
The committee observed that the amendments would help strengthen the criminal justice system, ensure the speedy and fair disposal of cases, and improve timely access to justice.
The committee also reviewed proposed amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Subordinate Judiciary Service Tribunal Act, 1991, aimed at making service-related matters in the subordinate judiciary more transparent, efficient, and merit-based.
The Law Minister directed all concerned departments to further refine the draft laws in light of the recommendations presented during the meeting, complete consultations with stakeholders, assess their financial and administrative implications, and finalize the remaining draft legislation for consideration at upcoming meetings.
The meeting concluded with the decision that all relevant departments would submit their final recommendations and legal opinions to the Law Department within the stipulated timeframe so that the draft laws could be placed before the competent forums for approval after fulfilling all legal requirements.