National Assembly approves National Forensic Agency Bill 2024 following Senate’s approval

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly of Pakistan has passed the National Forensic Agency Bill 2024, here on Wednesday.

As per the details, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi presented the Forensic Agency Bill 2024 in the National Assembly. PPP member Shazia Marri said that the National Forensic Bill has been passed by the Senate and is a good bill, but some shortcomings still remain.

She said that this bill has opened the way to put people in jails a lot. In the bill, a government official has been fined one lakh rupees and imprisoned for one year for knowingly misusing his powers. A government official should not be punished so little for knowingly doing wrong, the fine should be one million.

Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar said that it is very important to have forensic science techniques, the facility of a forensic science laboratory will be in Islamabad, Shazia Marri, drop or withdraw the amendments today, let the bill be passed today, whatever shortcomings there are, bring amendments later, the government will not oppose.

Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima told the House that security is a big issue, we have to stop cyber attacks, we cannot compromise on national security, nothing is more important than national security, the entire cabinet stands behind the IT Ministry.

Later, the National Assembly passed the National Forensic Agency Bill 2024 with a majority vote.

It should be noted that the Senate had passed the National Forensic Agency Bill recently. According to the bill, research, forensic and digital forensic departments will be established, while the digital forensic department will assist in matters of national security.

Under the bill, the National Forensic Agency will provide services to all forensic agencies including the federation, provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, the agency will also provide services to labs and law enforcement agencies, the agency will preserve digital forensic materials and the forensic agency will also appear in court as an expert.

According to the bill, the DG of the National Forensic Agency will not hold dual citizenship, the chairperson of the agency’s board of governors will be the secretary of the division, and the board will include the IG Islamabad, the National Coordinator of NACTA, and the DG of the National Police Bureau.