Punjab to amend decades-old Qanun-e-Shahadat, other laws with focus on women, children

The Punjab government has decided to amend decades-old criminal laws to modernise the province’s legal framework, media reports said Tuesday.

According to reports, the government has established a Legal Reforms Committee to draft amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1898, the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) 1860, and the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order (QSO) 1984.

While CrPC is procedural legislation for prosecuting, trying and punishing criminals under substantive criminal law, PPC is the law that defines crimes and their punishments. The QSO, on the other hand, is the law of evidence. It includes Islamic rules such as competency of witnesses, number and gender of witnesses, exclusion of accomplice's evidence, provisions for oaths as a way to determine cases and provisions for legitimacy.

The reforms will focus on crime prevention, law enforcement efficiency and public safety, with special emphasis on laws pertaining to the protection of women and children. The committee will also suggest amendments related to counterterrorism, cybercrime, cybersecurity and interprovincial coordination.

The Punjab Home Department has issued a notification confirming the committee’s formation. DIG Kamran Adil has been appointed as chairman while Additional Secretary (Judicial) Imran Hussain Ranjha will serve as secretary.

Other members include legal and prosecution officials, and the committee is expected to submit its report within three months.

In December 2024, the Punjab cabinet, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, had approved a series of significant reforms and projects aimed at improving governance, agriculture and social welfare across the province. Significant approvals included the formal establishment of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority under the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority Rules 2024.

The cabinet also approved the delegation of hearing powers to assistant commissioners for the Punjab Environment and Regulatory Authority.