National & Provincial Law - Page 2

The Age Of Consent And The Borders Of Belief

ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025 marks a pivotal step toward a safer, progressive Pakistan KARACHI. Child rights organisations and advocates, along with concerned citizens, have warmly welcomed the passage of recent legislation on child marriages, describing it as a landmark step toward protecting the rights and well-being of children. “The passage of the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2025…

Laws and domestic workers

ON assuming power after his landslide victory in West Pakistan in the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced five labour welfare laws and brought in amendments in other laws applicable to industrial and commercial establishments. These laws pertained to the education of workers’ children, the constitution of a workers’ welfare…

Birth, Death Registration Fees Waived

LAHORE: Under the newly-enforced Birth and Death Registration Rules 2025, the local…

LHC directed Punjab Government to revise Child Marriage Restraint Act 1929

LAHORE: Declaring the definition of ‘child’ in the Child Marriage Act, 1929…

Thalassaemia Testing

The National Assembly’s passage of the bill mandating premarital thalassaemia screening in Islamabad is a much-needed first step towards reducing the incidence of the potentially deadly blood disorder. The disorder, which is hereditary, has an unusually high rate of incidence in countries such as Pakistan and areas with large South…

Islamabad’s Students aged 14 Years and above to be Taught Reproductive Health

ISLAMABAD: Students of 14 years and above age now will be taught reproductive health education in Islamabad’s educational institutions as after Senate, National Assembly also passed a bill on March 10 in this regard. Prior written consent from parents or legal guardians shall be mandatory before imparting any instructions related…

KP Cabinet Approves Bill To Control Beggary

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has approved KP Vagrancy Control and Rehabilitation Bill, 2025, for placement before the provincial assembly. The proposed legislation introduces a modernised and rights based framework for addressing vagrancy in the province, replacing the existing legal framework introduced in 2020, read an official statement issued here…

Moot Demands Effective Enforcement of Anti-rape Law

KARACHI: Speakers at a programme on 21 Feb expressed concern over growing social acceptance of rape cases and demanded effective implementation of the anti-rape law. A dialogue on ‘Surge in rape cases: silence of society, lack of institutional and judicial response and commitment’ was organised by the Sindh Women Lawyers…

Punjab Promulgates Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026

LAHORE: Child marriage is now a non-bailable crime in Punjab, with offenders facing up to seven years in prison and Rs1 million fine under a sweeping new ordinance promulgated by Punjab Governor Saleem Haider Khan here on Wednesday. Issued as the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Ordinance 2026, the law comes…

CM Afridi Green-lights Bill Against Begging Networks

PESHAWAR: In a move to eliminate organised begging networks across the province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on February 9 approved the ‘Vagrancy Control and Rehabilitation Bill’ for presentation before the provincial cabinet for consent. He described the proposed legislation a historic and transformative step, saying the bill is…

Ban on Vape, E-cigarettes for Under-18s on the Cards

In a bid to curb the growing trend of vape smoking among youth in the federal capital, the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services is set to table ‘Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (Regulation) Bill’ in the House following its approval by the panel. The proposed legislation seeks to impose…

Motorcycle Licences at 16 in Punjab: Mobility, Maturity and the Burden of Responsibility

The newly proposed initiative has opened a deeper debate about accountability, maturity, enforcement and whether the state is regulating reality or retreating from responsibility. LAHORE: In early December 2025, a province-wide traffic enforcement drive in Punjab created a controversy after police registered over 4,600 cases and arrested around 3,100 people in 72…

Punjab Set to Enforce Kite Flying Ordinance 2025

LAHORE: The Punjab government s Kite Flying Ordinance 2025, a far-reaching legal framework aimed at controlling kite flying and eliminating dangerous string, is poised for promulgation next week once the Punjab Assembly session concludes. The ordinance, already approved by the provincial cabinet, cannot be signed by the governor while the…

Anti-domestic violence Bill Promises ‘Stringent Penalties’ in ICT

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has passed a proposed legislation to “address and significantly” reduce domestic violence in the Islamabad Capital Territory by establishing a comprehensive legal framework to protect the victims. The bill, approved on November 13 along with four other bills, was criticised by the JUI-F lawmakers, who questioned the haste…