What happened:
On January 18, National Assembly passed the bill to seek penalties for people who defame Ummahatul Momineen, Ahle Bait, Khulfa-e-Rashideen, and Sahaba-e-Karam. In this regard, the lower House of the Parliament unanimously approved JI’s Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali’s motion. The vision is to introduce the Criminal Laws Amendment Bill, 2023.
About the bill:
The bill has been approved by President Arif Alvi. Before being approved to become an Act of the Parliament, the bill will now be referred to the Senate for approval. It calls for changes to some provisions in the Pakistan Penal Code as well.
The penalties:
A person who disrespects Ummahatul Momineen, Ahle Bait, Khulfa-e-Rashideen, and Sahaba-e-Karam would face a penalty of 10 years in prison. This can be elevated to life imprisonment based on the severity of the act.
What else:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior approved the measure. They recommended the penalties should be implemented if the Parliament wants to eradicate extremism and terrorism.
Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani was in charge of the proceedings. He praised all the lawmakers and called the bill ‘historic.’ He claimed that putting this law into effect will end horrifying crimes in Pakistan.
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