The Senate of Pakistan on Friday passed six key amendment bills, including the Cannabis Control Authority Amendment Bill 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening regulatory frameworks across several sectors.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel report, the Senate approved the Cannabis Control Authority Amendment Bill 2026 along with the New Pakistan Housing and Development Authority Amendment Bill 2026 and the Pakistan Names and Emblems (Prohibition of Unauthorised Use) Amendment Bill 2026.
Additionally, the upper house passed the National Archives Amendment Bill 2026, the Islamabad Capital Territory Senior Citizens Amendment Bill 2026, and the Associated Press of Pakistan Amendment Bill 2026.
All six bills were presented in the Senate by the ruling party, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
The legislation had already been approved by the National Assembly of Pakistan prior to Senate approval, completing the parliamentary process.
Meanwhile, the government on Friday informed the Senate that the New Gwadar International Airport, operational since Jan 20, 2025, along with the Gwadar Free Zone and improved highway connectivity, is expected to facilitate access for Balochistan’s agricultural, mineral and fisheries sectors to national and international markets.
Responding during the Question Hour on behalf of Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the airport and related infrastructure formed part of broader efforts to strengthen trade logistics and economic activity in the province.
He told the House that a fully developed Gwadar Free Zone, spread over approximately 2,281 acres at Gwadar Port, is operational and designed to support trade, re-export, warehousing, distribution and industrial activities.
The zone also offers opportunities for processing, packaging and value addition of agricultural, mineral and fisheries products originating from Balochistan.
The minister said investors in the free zone are being offered incentives including a 23-year tax holiday on federal, provincial and local taxes, lease options of up to 99 years, and exemption from import duties and sales tax on machinery and equipment.
One-window facilitation, ready warehouses, office space and industrial units, along with security arrangements and internal infrastructure, have also been put in place.
Highlighting connectivity measures, he said Gwadar Airport is linked with other districts through major highways including the M-8 Ratodero–Gwadar motorway, the N-85 Hoshab–Surab highway and the N-10 Makran Coastal Highway connecting Gwadar with Karachi via Pasni and Ormara. The N-25 Karachi–Quetta (Chaman) highway has also been upgraded with federal funding.
Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the federal government is responsible for ensuring road connectivity between Gwadar Port, the airport and other parts of Balochistan, while development of warehousing and storage facilities at the airport falls under the Defence Division (Aviation), the Civil Aviation Authority and the Pakistan Airports Authority.
Responding to a supplementary question raised by Senator Danish Kumar regarding the Ratodero road and Gwadar-related infrastructure, the minister said the matter primarily fell within the planning domain, adding that extensive details had already been shared in response to the main question.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also told the Senate that Balochistan remained a foremost priority for the federal government and was receiving proportionately higher development allocations under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).
Responding to a question by Senator Jan Muhammad on progress of the M-8 motorway, the minister said the approximately 890-kilometre highway — part of the western alignment of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — was aimed at improving connectivity and economic activity in Balochistan.
He said several sections of the motorway had already been completed and were operational, while the remaining stretches, including the Hoshab–Awaran and Awaran–Naal sections, were under construction.
The government is targeting completion of the remaining 314 kilometres by December 2026, subject to availability of funds and improvement in the security situation.
The minister said work on the project had faced delays due to security challenges, restricted working hours and insufficient releases of development funds.
He added that concerns regarding the condition or maintenance of certain road segments could be taken up with the relevant authorities.
Reaffirming the government’s development focus, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that when development spending was assessed relative to population, Balochistan was receiving a higher PSDP allocation than Punjab.
Reporter: Usman Khan