peshawar
To enhance and streamline the legislative process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation was held under the chairmanship of Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Advocate at the Law Department’s committee room.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Zakat, Ushr and Social Welfare Syed Qasim Ali Shah, Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel, Secretary Law, Secretary Zakat and Ushr, Secretary Livestock, Director General Livestock, senior officials from the Finance Department, Information and Public Relations, SMBR, Science and IT, and other relevant departments.
The agenda included the proposed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Science, IT and Innovation Endowment Fund Bill 2025, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Livestock and Poultry Production (Amendment) Bill 2025, proposed amendments to the Journalist Welfare Endowment Fund Act 2014, and the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill 2025. Officials from the Department of Science and IT proposed changing the post of Director to Director General in the Directorate of Science and IT, along with other relevant suggestions for the proposed KP Science, IT and Innovation Endowment fund.
Director General Livestock Dr. Asal Khan gave a detailed briefing on the proposed Livestock and Poultry Production Act 2025, comprising 23 sections. The Law Minister emphasized the need to make the law investment-friendly and incorporate biosecurity provisions. He also stressed the importance of legal clarity and the inclusion of clauses to ensure accurate statistics in the registration process of poultry farms.
The Information and Public Relations Department presented a comparative review of the proposed amendments to the Journalist Welfare Endowment Fund Act 2014, including changes in sections 2, 4, 5, and 7. They also discussed the categorization of press clubs into A, B, C, D, E, and F categories.
The Law Minister suggested permanent representation from the Peshawar Press Club and rotational representation from Category B clubs in the Endowment Fund Committee, to be formalized as per regulations. Recommendations concerning medical reimbursements for journalists were also finalized and will be presented to the Cabinet for approval.
On the Zakat and Ushr (Amendment) Bill 2025, officials from the Social Welfare Department briefed the committee on actions taken regarding three prior recommendations. Minister for Social Welfare Syed Qasim Ali Shah emphasized the importance of refining and finalizing all proposals before submitting them to the Chief Minister, with the aim of bringing tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. The committee also reviewed suggestions for incorporating special provisions for differently-abled persons, presented by a sub-committee under the Additional Secretary of Social Welfare. Various legal amendments were discussed in this regard.
