President Arif Alvi on Saturday assented to Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, officially marking them as laws. Following approval of the bills from both the Senate and National Assembly, a move that drew criticism from lawmakers belonging to both treasury and opposition benches, they were presented to the president for a final nod.
The National Assembly, on July 31, passed the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aiming to penalise individuals with a potential five-year imprisonment term for disclosing sensitive information concerning national security or the armed forces. Separately, the Official Secrets Act was greenlit just a few days before the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 7. Both bills were finally approved by the president, too, after contentious provisions were removed by parliament due to strong objections from rights advocates and senators.
