Critical national & global issues: NA adopts series of resolutions

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a series of resolutions addressing a range of critical national and international issues, including the ongoing Israeli military aggression in Gaza, honour killings, and the safeguarding of digital rights.

The first resolution, tabled by Shazia Marri of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), condemned in unequivocal terms the Israeli military aggression in Gaza, expressing grave concern over civilian casualties, large-scale destruction of infrastructure, and violations of international humanitarian law.

The resolution also denounced recent statements from Israeli authorities regarding the long-term occupation of Gaza and the forced displacement of its population, characterising such actions as war crimes under international law.

The house called upon the United Nations and the broader international community to intervene decisively to halt hostilities, ensure unimpeded humanitarian access, and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their pursuit of self-determination.

It urged the government to raise the issue forcefully at global forums such as the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

In a separate resolution, Shahida Rehmani, also of the PPP, drew the House’s attention to the rising incidents of so-called honour killings across various provinces.

The resolution underscored the need for a zero-tolerance approach to such crimes and proposed the formation of an interprovincial task force to coordinate efforts in combating this form of violence.

Another significant resolution, introduced by NosheenIftikhar of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N), addressed the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights in the digital sphere.

It advocated for stricter legislation against unauthorised video recordings, cyber harassment, and digital defamation. It further recommended bolstering the capacity of law enforcement agencies, especially digital forensic units, and called for the establishment of complaint desks within police stations.

The resolution also proposed the integration of educational content on digital ethics, privacy rights, and anti-harassment legislation into school curricula, alongside the launch of public awareness campaigns to inform citizens of their digital rights and available legal remedies.

In legislative business, the House passed two bills: the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, both tabled by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry.

Additionally, the government introduced the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Motor Vehicles Industry Development Bill, 2025, also moved by Chaudhry.

Two ordinances were laid before the House: the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, presented by the Minister of State for Interior, and the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority Ordinance, 2025, tabled by Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain.

Addressing a calling attention notice, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry stated that a major water infrastructure project is under consideration to address the water requirements of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He added that the installation of recharge wells is also underway to enhance groundwater levels.

On the matter of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) employees, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the House that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to explore a golden handshake scheme for resolving outstanding employee issues.

In a separate briefing, Minister of State for Climate Change, Shezra Kharal, said that a national climate finance strategy is in the works to promote green financing both domestically and internationally.

She highlighted the launch of the Recharge Pakistan initiative, aimed at ensuring water conservation and building climate-resilient infrastructure. Collaborative efforts with provincial governments are also underway to curb deforestation, she added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025