The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was moved by Senators Sassui Palijo and Mukhtiar Dhamrah with certain amendments after seeking input from different stakeholders including intellectual and writers of different languages. The amendment was proposed in clause (1) of Article 251 of the constitution to declare Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi, as national languages along with Urdu.
According to the bill, in the Constitution of Pakistan for article 251, the following shall be substituted namely: "251 national languages 1) the national languages of Pakistan are Urdu and the languages of federating units, namely, Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi and Sindhi, 2) the official language of Pakistan shall be English until arrangements are made for Urdu to come at par with it, 3) the federal government shall establish a fund for the development and promotion of national languages and 4) provincial government may be law prescribe measure for the teaching and promotion of any language in addition to the national languages."
According to statement of objects and reasons, since Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi and Sindhi languages of federating units have not been given there due status in the Constitution of Pakistan and a number of movements are going on in the country demanding grant of national status to these languages, therefore it has become imperative to given those languages the status of national languages of Pakistan.
The committee observed that in the first phase four languages including Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi would be given national status and later other languages would be considered.
The committee also discussed the public petition submitted by Rukhsana Qambar pertaining to representation regarding taking over of the Areas Study Center for Africa, North and South America, Islamabad, by Quaid-e-Azam University. The committee was informed about the legal status of the Area Centers by the ministry concerned. Rukhsana Qamber gave her point of view on the matter. The members of the committee also put forward their recommendations in this regard.
The committee, after having taken views from all relevant stakeholders ie the law Division, Attorney General of Pakistan, Council of Islamic Ideology, provincial prison departments, in the previous meetings decided that the existing rules already have the provision of death by hanging publicly in view of rule 354 of the prison rules and hence observed that an amendment in the Pakistan Penal Code would not be required for the same. The committee remarked that it is the domain of the prison departments to see in what place and how a public hanging is to be carried out.
Senator Murtaza Wahab said while the severity of punishment is needed and is important, it is the certainty of punishment that fulfils the needs of justice. The committee rejected 'the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2017' (Amendment of Article 255) moved by Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Swati due to absence of the mover in a number of meetings.