The provincial government wants to appoint executive magistrates for controlling prices of essential commodities during Ramazan but a critical amendment is required in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to effectively enforce the system.
“Sindh government can only appoint special magistrates to control prices; however it will have to wait for an amendment in the CrPC to revive Executive Magistracy in the province,” said Sindh Law Secretary Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah on Thursday. Talking with Pakistan Today, he said the Sindh Assembly itself can revive the Executive Magistracy in the province, as had the province of Balochistan already adopted legislation; however, the federal government should amend the CrPC to introduce uniform laws in all provinces.
According to the law secretary, under Section 14-A of the CrPC the government can only appoint special magistrates to control prices of essential commodities. Sindh government wants to revive the Executive Magistracy system after restoration of commissionerate system in the province but is facing legal restrictions as the system cannot be revived until amendments are made in the CrPC. The amendments are required because the laws were changed during the tenure of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.
Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro had told the media last Wednesday that the government may bring a bill during the forthcoming Sindh Assembly session for the revival of Executive Magistracy in the province. However, no formal decision has been taken so far in this regard. Official sources said the matter was also discussed at a meeting held at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House late Wednesday evening and it was decided that the federal government would be approached first to get the required amendment made in the CrPC.
