NA panel rejects proposed law seeking drug screening of students

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Tuesday rejected a proposed legislation seeking voluntary drug screening of students in colleges and universities.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, which met here with MNA Raja Khurram Shahbaz Nawaz in the chair, rejected the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill 2025 moved by MNA Sehar Kamran citing jurisdictional and administrative concerns.

The mover of the bill said that government should appoint counsellor in the colleges and universities. “Screening should be conducted with the consent of children and parents”, she said.

During the meeting, officials from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) informed the committee that taking of drug samples fall under the responsibility of the health department. They added that matters related to counselling and rehabilitation should be handled by the education department.

Officials from the Ministry of Law told the committee that there is currently no scanning mechanism in place under the proposed setup.

The mover further informed the committee that Narcotic Substances (CNS) Act is primarily an enforcement and crackdown law. The Act focuses on arrests and punitive measures, but does not include provisions related to the treatment or medical rehabilitation of drug addicts, he said.

Committee member Malik Abrar expressed concern over the increasing use of drugs inside hostels, calling it a serious issue that needs urgent attention.

Another committee member, Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, stated that after 2010, all provinces had established their own powers following devolution. He emphasized that the ANF and the Excise Department must work together to effectively tackle the drug menace.

Several members maintained that the issue falls under provincial jurisdiction and should therefore be referred to the provinces.

The committee approved the Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens (amendment) bill 2025 moved by MNA Sharmila Faruqui seeking provision special facilities and discounts to senior citizens.

Farooqi briefing the committee said that citizens aged 60 years and above would be entitled to special concessions and discounts on the basis of their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), eliminating the need for a separate senior citizen card. Under the bill, senior citizens will receive a 25 percent discount on various government and private sector services.

During the meeting, committee member Nabil Gabol emphasised the need to seek NADRA’s viewpoint, noting that in many cases fingerprint verification becomes difficult after the age of 60 due to unclear thumb impressions.

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the facility should not be limited to Islamabad alone. He added that if the bill proves effective, it should be implemented across all provinces so that senior citizens nationwide can benefit from the initiative.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Muhammad Haroon Joya briefed the committee on the worsening traffic situation in the federal capital. He said that approximately 350,000 to 400,000 vehicles enter Islamabad daily.

The DIG said that traffic congestion increases due to ongoing development projects. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) was summoned because multiple checkpoints have been set up across Islamabad, the committee chairman said.

He said that no one case reaches their destinations on time. Even during the peak of terrorism in the country, such huge number of police check point were not set up in the city, he said.

Responding to concerns, the DIG said the department is working on improvements and installing cameras, and emphasised that the traffic police is managing with resources dating back to 2006.

He directed authorities to set up checkpoints only to entry and exit points of the city, and ordered that all unnecessary checkpoints within the city be removed immediately. He also instructed the traffic police to immediately end the practice of harassing families using torches, calling it unacceptable.

The committee asked officials to report issues directly so they can be addressed promptly.

Chairman directed the DIG that he should inform the committee that police have shifted the pickets to city exit and entry point or not. The DIG further said that they are going to launch a mobile app for traffic advisory.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026