The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice convened today under the chairmanship of Senator Farooq Hamid Naek to review and discuss several key legislative bills. The meeting saw the passage of significant legislative measures and deliberations on various constitutional amendments that address vital issues of national importance. *Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2025 Passed*  A major highlight of the meeting was the passing of the *Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2025*, as introduced by Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Law and Justice.

The bill, which had already been passed by the National Assembly, aims to reduce the mounting burden of litigation on the appellate side of the Islamabad High Court.  The bill seeks to address the growing issue of pendency in the Islamabad High Court, which has been exacerbated by the rising property prices in the Islamabad territory. As property valuations now exceed twenty-five hundred thousand rupees, a significant number of regular first appeals against civil court orders and decrees have increased the caseload.

Senator Tarar highlighted the necessity of having district courts entertain such matters, thereby reducing pressure on the appellate side of the Islamabad High Court.  *Senator Hamid Khan’s Nomination Issue Addressed*  The committee also addressed the issue of the delay in notifying the nomination of Senator Hamid Khan as a member of the Board of Governors of the Legal Aid and Justice Authority. Chairman Senator Farooq Hamid Naek directed that the nomination be notified at the earliest and that the committee be updated on the progress. 

*Constitutional Amendments Discussed* 

The committee engaged in a detailed discussion regarding the *Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024*, introduced by Senator Munzoor Ahmed and Danesh Kumar. The bill, which seeks to amend Article 51 of the Constitution, was debated with input from the Ministry. The committee took note of the findings from the 2023 population census, which revealed that the Christian community is predominantly concentrated in Punjab, while the Hindu community is largely based in Sindh. This geographical disparity could pose challenges if each province is designated as a single constituency for minority reserved seats.

The committee chairman advised further review of the bill based on population data and under the relevant legal framework. The movers of the bill requested additional time to consider amendments.  Similarly, the committee deliberated on the *Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024*, introduced by Senator Khalida Ateeb. This bill was deferred due to the lack of support from the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the pending comments from other provincial governments.

The committee emphasized that the bill required input from all stakeholders before further consideration, especially as it pertains to provincial autonomy principles.  *Other Constitutional Amendments Deferred*  The *Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024*, moved by Senator Aon Abbas, which proposes the creation of a new province of South Punjab, was also deferred. The committee recognized that this was a national policy issue and that comments from all provinces were necessary to ensure comprehensive policy development. 

Additionally, the *Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024*, introduced by Senator Muhammad Abdul Qadir, which proposes an amendment to Article 27 concerning quotas, was deferred for further review. The committee chairman expressed the need to review previous judgments by the Supreme Court on the matter of time limits for quotas before proceeding.  Meeting was attended by Syed Ali Zafar, Anusha Rahman, Ahmad Khan, Shahadat Awan, Kamran Murtaza, Khalil Tahir, Muhammad Abdul Qadir, Zakir Hussain Ghumro, Danesh Kumar, Khalida Ateeb, and Senator Aon Abbas. State Minister Barrister Aqeel Malik and representatives of attached departments were also present.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)