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       ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday passed two important bills, including the one seeking transfer of the subject “explosives” from provinces to the Centre, as lawmakers continued debate on the recent India-Pakistan conflict and its possible impact on the region.

       The government brought the Explo-sives (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeking to amend the Explosives Act, 1884, to the lower house of parliament through a supplementary agenda and Speaker Ayaz Sadiq readily put it for a voice vote without a debate and referred it to the committee concerned as soon as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal presented it after members allowed the suspension of rules.

       The other bill passed by the National Assembly was the Pakistan Navy (Amen-dment) Bill, 2025, which was presented by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

       Meanwhile, the official media continued a blackout of the opposition members’ speech and it did not even telecast the speech made by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

       The explosives act

       Through the amendment, various new clauses have been added regarding “illegal activities, deliberate explosion, major/minor violations, and malicious intent to curb the pilferage of explosives in the supply chain to the end user level and proposing penalties and punishments to the licence holders and illegal persons”.

       The bill has also suggested increase in the maximum penalty and fine from Rs30,000 to Rs2 million to curtail illegal practices.

       Govt brings proposed law through supplementary agenda; speaker puts it for vote without debate, referring it to committee

       The bill states that it is being enacted as “the provincial assemblies of Baloch-istan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh have [already] passed resolutions under Article 144 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the effect that Majlis-i-Shoora (Parliament) may by law regulate matters relating to explosives”.

       According to the proposed law, which is now required to be passed by the Senate, those found violating various provisions of the act “shall be tried by the Anti-Terrorism Court established under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997”. The convicted persons, however, will have the right of appeal in a high court.

       Besides this, a new sub-section has also been added to the already existing law “to co-opt the members of intelligence agencies and technical personnel for efficient inquiries”.

       The bill also seeks to replace the word “Chief Inspector of Explosives” with “Director General Explosives.”

       According to the proposed law, “major violations” means actions that “cause significant risks to public life and their safety in terms of terrorism, involving unlawful trade or violate core provisions of this Act and rules made thereunder and includes unauthorised manufacturing of explosives, large-scale possession without licence, smuggling or supplying explosives to criminals or any other person without having valid licence” with malicious or non-malicious intent.

       The bill has defined “malicious intent” as “a deliberate, wilful or premeditated act to cause harm, endanger public life and their safety or violate the law with knowledge of its illegality and potential consequences and includes manufacturing explosives for terrorism, selling explosives to banned groups or proscribed organisations or intentionally bypassing explosives protocols”.

       According to it, if a licence-holder commits major violations which are non-malicious, “he shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding Rs10 million or both”.

       On the other hand, it says, if a licence-holder “commits major violations, which are malicious, he shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding seven years or a fine not exceeding Rs20 million or both”.

       The Navy Act

       According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the bill seeks to amend the provisions of the Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961, “so as to provide the structural underpinnings of raising and maintaining the navy, including inter alia, the power to grant commission, determine terms and conditions of service, carryout welfare activities, national development tasks and other operational and institutional matters”.

       The bill includes provisions regarding “maintaining discipline and guarding information of sensitive nature by serving and retired naval personnel”.

       According to the proposed law, “the appropriate authorities may, as may be prescribed in this behalf, retire, release, accept or reject resignation of, or discharge from the service, any person subject to this Ordinance: provided that owing to exigencies, extraordinary circumstances, or if war is imminent or existing, the Federal Government may retain compulsorily in service up to 60 years of age any person with the recommendations of the Chief of the Naval Staff and as prescribed in this Ordinance or the rules, regulations or instructions made and issued thereunder”.

       Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025