DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was reviewing existing provincial laws to align them with contemporary requirements and improve the effectiveness of the legal framework, Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Aftab Alam said on Wednesday.
He was speaking while chairing a meeting of the provincial cabinet’s legislation committee in Peshawar, said a handout.
The committee held detailed deliberations on the proposed Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026, Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2026, Witness Protection (Amendment) Act 2026 and the Excise Force Bill 2026.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance Muzammil Aslam, the secretaries of the law, excise, taxation and narcotics control, human resource management, and home and tribal affairs departments, as well as senior officials from the Board of Revenue, the Law Department, the Advocate General’s Office and other relevant departments.
Mr Alam said the government was undertaking a comprehensive review of laws in force across the province to ensure they were better suited to present-day challenges and public needs.
He added that the provincial government was committed to making the legislative process faster, more effective and transparent to strengthen legal protection and improve access to justice.
Participants reviewed the legal, administrative and financial implications of the proposed legislation and agreed that the financial burden of the new laws or amendments should be kept to a minimum without compromising their effectiveness.
The law minister said the federal government was also considering amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Witness Protection Act.
He directed officials to conduct a comparative review of the provincial and federal draft laws to ensure consistency, avoid legal conflicts and promote a harmonised legal framework across the country.
The meeting also discussed the proposed establishment of a Narcotics Control Force, reviewing its proposed organisational structure, powers and administrative framework.
According to the proposal, the force would comprise a commandant, deputy commandant, directors, excise and taxation officers, assistant excise and taxation officers, inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, constables, wireless operators and drivers.
Participants observed that the proposed force would strengthen anti-narcotics operations, improve law enforcement and enhance the protection of life and property through a modern institutional framework.
The meeting concluded with directions to the relevant departments to finalise and submit their recommendations on the proposed bills to the cabinet’s legislation committee at the earliest so that the legislative process could be completed without delay.
