ISLAMABAD: In a bid to address the rise in street crimes, a parliamentary panel on Wednesday reviewed a bill proposing amendments to Pakistan’s criminal law, making mobile-phone snatching non-bailable and non-compoundable, while closing existing legal loopholes.
Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, the bill’s mover, briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, chaired by Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, on the “Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2025.”
Hassan said that current laws lack clarity regarding mobile snatching, as existing provisions only address “theft.” He argued that this legal gap enables offenders involved in armed snatching to easily secure bail.
He added that the bill proposes inserting a new Section 382A into the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) of 1860 to define “snatching” and “street crime.”
Under the proposed amendment, intimidating, threatening, or coercing an individual to relinquish movable property – such as mobile phones or jewellery – would be classified as snatching or street crime.
The MNA stated that the bill proposes a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for up to ten years, along with a fine, similar to the existing Section 382 (Theft after preparation to cause hurt or death).
It also proposes an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1898, allowing cases involving the new offence, when committed in a public area using a firearm, to be tried in a special court, he said.
Currently, the offence is bailable, but under Section 382A, it will become non-bailable and non-compoundable, allowing police to make arrests without a warrant, he added.
The bill’s sponsor said it had been forwarded to the home departments of the governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
Replies from the home departments of all provinces, AJK, and GB were received, with all endorsing the bill. A senior official from the Ministry of Interior also expressed support for the bill during the meeting.
A representative of the Law Ministry told the committee that while he supports the draft, he requested additional time to further refine the text. The committee therefore deferred the bill until its next meeting.
During the meeting, Sharmila Faruqui raised concerns over the deteriorating condition and inadequate security arrangements at the Parliament Lodges.
Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa, said that a summary seeking funds for the complete renovation of the lodges had been forwarded to the Finance Ministry. The committee directed the Interior Ministry to immediately review the security measures at the lodges.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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