Price Control & Prevention of Profiteering Bill: Law Division asked to submit reply

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel, on Monday, asked the Law Division to submit its reply regarding the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeking to give reward to those who inform the concerned department regarding hoarding of any essential commodities.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which met with Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman in the chair, discussed Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding (Amendment) Bill, 2024, moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz and asked to submit its comments regarding the bill before the next meeting.

Aziz, while briefing the committee, said the main objectives of his bill is to control hoarding and overpricing by taking action against them. He proposed to introduce the whistle-blowing mechanism in the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977, to ensure consumer protection and save financial loss to the government exchequer.

During the meeting, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior informed the committee that the ministry supports the bill, but the parliamentary body did not pass the bill as the official of the Law Ministry told them that the bill has not been vetted by the ministry.

The committee also discussed the bill titled, The Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2024, moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz. “This bill concerns our youth, particularly our students,” the mover said. He said the main objectives of the bill are to control use of drug in the educational institutions. The use of synthetic drugs, are not only harmful to health but also have the potential to cause sudden death, he said, adding that the use drugs especially synthetic drugs have become a trend in institutions across the country.

According to the statement of objects and reason of the bill, the use of drugs, particularly, synthetic drug called ice (crystal methamphetamine) is penetrating schools, colleges and universities for the last few years. These drugs are destroying children’s character, discipline, health and their future, it says.

It says that the students consume drugs in their educational institutions without much restriction, as some institutions have failed to take serious steps to address the issue in their premises. In order to create deterrence and protect the students who are found in possession of drugs from any disciplinary or criminal proceedings, amendments are proposed to conduct random search and test of students if there are reasonable grounds suspected of using narcotic drug, psychotropic substance or controlled substance, it says. The committee directed Ministry of Interior to take the point of view of all provincial governments and educational institutions regarding the bill and submit report before the committee.

The committee, unanimously, passed two bills, namely the “Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024” and the “Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024.”

Senator Mohsin Aziz, the mover of the Pakistan Penal Code Bill, stated that the bill aims at increasing the penalties for rape offenders with the intent of rooting out this menace from society.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, while briefing the committee regarding fake call to members of parliament, said this matter was very challenging for them and they had handled it in a professional manner. A gang was operating in Sahiwal and they made phone calls to different senators and MNAs as fake Station House Officers (SHOs), he said, adding that a senator also approached Industrial Area police station in this connection.

He said the man namely, Shehroz Ahmed, who was involved in the matter, had 21 mobile SIMs and many mobile phones. “He also made calls to government officials and businessman,” he said, adding the suspect belonged to Sahiwal and police arrested him within three days.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025