The National Assembly on Friday passed the Pakistan Maritime Zones Bill, 2021 as reported by the Standing Committee.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Ali Zahid on behalf of Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif moved the bill in the House.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the bill says, Territorial Water Maritime Zone (TWMZ) Act, 1976, as amended in 1997, is currently in force. However, a process of its complete revision was initiated soon after the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) by Pakistan in February, 1997.
Revision to the TWMZ Act, 1976 has been made keeping in mind the provision of national/international maritime and customary laws warranting elaboration of internal waters, rights of innocent passage, safety zones, offshore installations, pollution, dumping, jurisdiction on foreign ships, foreign warships, visit and search, piracy, armed robbery against ships, arrest, trial and punishment etc.
The bill will enable Pakistan to deal with said matters in accordance with the national/international laws and asserts its rights, jurisdiction and sovereignty in sync with internationally accepted provisions.
Meanwhile, two bills including the National Skills University Islamabad (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Quaid-i-Azam Foundation Bill, 2023 were introduced in the National Assembly.
The bills were moved by Ministers Naveed Qamar and Murtaza Javed Abbasi respectively in the House.
Moreover, the House also adopted amendments in the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the National Assembly 2007.
The amendments were moved by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi in the House.
