ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly on Tuesday approved “The Control ofNarcotics Substance (Amendment) Bill, 2022,” abolishing death sentence forillicit trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic drugs.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar proposed the amendment to the law,which previously allowed death penalty or life term in the cases.
The minister feared misuse of the death penalty in the narcotics cases andcalled for abolishing the sentence.
The JUI-F, a coalition partner in the PML-N led government, opposed thebill. Alia Kamran, the lawmakers of the Fazlur Rehman’s party, termed themove of relaxing sentences in the serious crimes as “a matter of shame.”
In September this year, President Dr Arif Alvi approved an amendment to theAct, allowing death sentence or life imprisonment for drug peddlers. Thisincluded drugs of varying quantities including heroin, morphine, cocaine,and methamphetamine.
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The said Act also provided a death sentence or imprisonment which shall notbe less than life, along with a fine up to Rs2 million but not less thanRs1.5 million for offences involving heroin or morphine weighing 6kg ormore.
It allowed a death sentence or life imprisonment but not less than 20 yearsalong with a fine not less than Rs2.5 million for offences involvingcocaine weighing 5kg or more.
