Senate unanimously passes National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024

The Senate has unanimously passed the National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024 aimed at transforming the National Forensics Agency (NFA) project into an independent agency, APP reported on Friday.

Earlier, the government proposed the National Forensics and Cybercrime Agency (NFCA) to tackle cyber and digital crimes and investigations related to them amid ongoing efforts to change the country’s digital laws.

On Nov 8, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior passed the NFA bill which was introduced in the Senate by Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi on Oct 17.

According to a statement of aims and objectives of the bill, a copy of which is seen by Dawn.com, “The National Forensics Agency will integrate digital and cyber forensics to combat crimes involving electronic devices, deepfakes, and other electronic offences.”

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar piloted the bill in the House today on behalf of the interior minister.

“Through NFA, the existing conventional forensic labs and establishing a digital forensic lab would also provide services to all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and government/private forensics labs,” the report said.

He further said establishing an independent NFA is essential to address the challenges arising from the current fragmented forensic services that lead to inconsistent standards and capabilities across the country.

The minister said that currently there was a forensic laboratory in Lahore which was set up by the incumbent prime minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2010.

“The laboratory was already overloaded and it was a need of the hour that all provincial governments should also include setting up such labs in their respective provinces,” he added.

He said that setting up a state-of-the-art forensic laboratory would also help eradicate crimes.

Senators Quratulain Marri and Zamir Hussain Ghumro moved their amendments which were passed by the House.

Legal aid bill passed by Senate

Separately, the Senate passed the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2024, aimed at ensuring free legal aid to poor people, the APP reported.

Tarar moved the bill further to amend the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Act, 2020, as reported by the Standing Committee in the House. He said that the bill was passed by the standing committee unanimously.

The bill would shift administrative control of the Legal and Justice Authority to the Law Ministry from the Ministry of Human Rights.