ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday passed several private member bills, including one enhancing punishment for obscenity-related offences. The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, introduced by PPP Senator Shahadat Awan, seeks to amend Sections 292 to 294 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The bill has defined obscenity as per Article 37(g) of the Constitution, which states: `[The State shall:] prevent prostitution, gambling and taking of injurious drugs, printing, publication, circulation and display of obscene literature and advertisements`.

Under the proposed changes, Section 292 would increase the penalty for publishing, producing, exhibiting, distributing, or selling obscene material from a three-month sentence and an unspecified fine to two years` imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000. A proviso clarifies the law does not apply to religious content or objects used for religious purposes.

Section 293 would raise the punishment for selling obscene material to individuals under 20 years from six months` imprisonment or fine to two years and Rs100,000 in fines. Amendments to Section 294, which pertains to obscene acts and songs in public, would increase the penalty from three months to one year and introduce a Rs100,000 fine.

The Senate also passed the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, moved by Senator Khalil Tahir. It raises the eligibility period for membership in provincial and Islamabad bar councils from five to ten years. Candidates must also have 15 years of advocacy experience and a minimum of 30 decided cases not involving government representation.

PTPs Barrister Ali Zafar opposed the timing, saying changes should take effect after upcoming bar elections. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar noted the election schedule would be issued in October and said the amendment had backing from all six bar councils.

Another key bill passed was the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals (Amendment) Bill, tabled by PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla. It proposes establishing a commission to support journalists facing violence and threats. PTI supported the bill, with Barrister Zafar stating journalism had become one of the most dangerous pro-fessions in Pakistan.

The other bills passed by the House included `The State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) (Amendment) Bill, 2024`, `The Abandoned Properties (Management) (Amendment) Bill, 2024`, `The National Institute of Health (Re-organisation) (Amendment) Bill, 2024`, `The Islamabad Capital Territory Charities Registration, Regulation and Facilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2023`, and `The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2024`.

Social media age restriction Also, various other bills, including the one seeking to regulate social media access for individuals aged less than 16, were introduced in the House. The bill seeks to reduce the risks of under-age people of cyberbullying, harmful content, and online exploitation. besides providing for young users` privacy, and prevent commercial exploitation and data breaches.

While speaking on a motion on Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), PTI parliamentary leader Barrister Zafar demanded immediate action against all those involved in the sugar scandal and called for submission of a comprehensive report by a parliamentary body to the Senate within 14 days.

`Let us not delude ourselves: this mafia is not operating from the shadows.

It sits within the ranks of this very government. The beneficiaries of this scandal are not hidden; they sit in power, and the people know it,` he alleged.

He said citizens could no longer afford to survive. `Why is this burden being dumped upon the people in the name of the IMF? Why is there no transparency in the working of Ogra and Nepra? Why is there no accountability? The answer is simple but shameful: the sugar mafia controls the government and the government serves them,` the PTI leader said.

He sought formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the sugar scandal and the extent of the sugar mafia`s influence within the corridors of power.

Senator Danesh Kumar of BAP echoed the concerns, calling CCP ineffective against such cartels.

In response, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the CCP`s Cartels and Trade Abuse Department had completed 20 inquiries across key sectors, while the Office of Fair Trade had conducted 13 probes into deceptive practices. Since October 2023, the CCP`s Market Intelligence Unit uncovered 170 potential cases of anti-competitive behavior in 28 sectors, including real estate, telecom, and banking.

Mr Aurangzeb urged the Senate Finance Committee to summon the CCP chairman and request a full progress report for the past two years. `For CCP to be effective, it must act proactively not just reactively,` he admitted.