Five important bills passed by the Senate could not sail through the National Assembly as the Lower House did not approve the bills in the stipulated period of 90 days.
The bills that have lapsed are; Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2015; the Anti-Honour Killing Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill 2015; the Privatisation Commission (Second Amendment) Bill 2015; the Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape (Prevention and Punishment) Bill 2015 and the Gas Theft Control and Recovery Bill 2014.
The Senate Secretariat has also notified that the five bills have lapsed.
One bill pertaining to gas theft and recovery was moved by the government itself, but it could not get parliament’s attention for approval.
Similarly, the anti-honour killing bill also recommends amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code to address shortcomings in the existing laws.