President Arif Alvi on Saturday signed the Official Secrets Bill (Amendment) 2023 and the Pakistani Army Bill (Amendment) 2023 into law.
Both bills were passed by the Senate and Congress and sent to the president for his approval amid criticism from opposition lawmakers.
On July 31, Parliament passed the Pakistan Army Bill (Amendment) 2023, which provides for a penalty of up to 5 years in prison for anyone who discloses sensitive information related to the security of the country.
Meanwhile, the Official Secrets Act was passed a few days before the end of the congressional term on August 7 after several controversial provisions were removed by the Senate following backlash from the Senate. rights advocacy groups, and under the bill, the JIT would complete its investigation within 30 days. Matters involving civil espionage will be investigated by the FIA or the JIT. However, under an amendment to Section B of Section 12, the penalty for one offense was reduced from 14 to 10 years.
