Punjab Cabinet Standing Committee Reviews Key Legislative Reforms; Overseas Commission Holds Public Hearing for Expatriates

By Dr. Ansab Ali & Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE: The 26th meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislative Business and Privatization was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman. Senior officials and departmental secretaries attended the session to deliberate on key legislative and administrative proposals.

During the meeting, more than ten departmental recommendations were reviewed and approved, including amendments to the Registration Act 1908, an MoU for agricultural cooperation with Egypt, the formation of the Board of Governors for the Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, and reforms to ensure better compliance with traffic laws.

The committee also approved a mobile application initiative for the online registration of births, marriages, deaths, and divorces, and amendments to the Punjab Private Housing Schemes Rules 2022.

Finance Minister Shuja-ur-Rehman stated that the amendments to the Registration Act would integrate the PEPRA Digital System to enhance transparency and administrative efficiency. He added that a scaled fines mechanism and traffic violation points system would be introduced to curb reckless driving and reduce road accidents across Punjab.

Highlighting cooperation with Egypt, the minister said Punjab would leverage Egyptian expertise to modernize its agricultural sector. He stressed strict enforcement of traffic laws, noting that penalties for violations involving underage drivers would be imposed on guardians rather than minors. The Punjab Safe Cities Authority will provide technical support for monitoring and enforcement.