Federal Cabinet Committee Decisions 13 November 2026: Foreign Exchange Penalties Bill Cleared, Press Council Act Deferred in Pakistan
Pakistan's cabinet law committee cleared the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 on 13 November and deferred the Press Council Act 2026. Details.
Short answer: A federal cabinet committee on law drafts approved the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 on Friday 13 November 2026, which reviews fines and penalties for foreign exchange violations. The same committee put off the draft Press Council of Pakistan Act 2026 for more consultation. A separate steering committee on sugar exports told officials to watch retail sugar prices closely.
The decisions come from three meetings in Islamabad on 13 November, set out in Press Information Department releases. None of the drafts is law yet. Each one still has to pass through the federal cabinet and, for a bill, through Parliament.
The law committee cleared five drafts and deferred one
The Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), chaired by Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, approved five proposals on 13 November 2026. It deferred the draft Press Council of Pakistan Act 2026. Approved drafts now go to the relevant forums for further steps.
The CCLC is the cabinet's legal filter. Ministries send it draft bills, ordinances and rule changes, and it checks them before they reach the full cabinet. A green light here is an early stage, not a final one.
| Draft | Decision on 13 Nov | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 | Approved | Anyone dealing in foreign currency, exporters, exchange companies |
| Leave prior to retirement (LPR) in the Armed Forces, with payment for unused LPR | Approved | Retiring armed forces personnel |
| Naming competent authorities instead of "Federal Government" in SECP laws | Approved | Companies and investors under SECP laws |
| Plant protection functions moved to NAFSA, with rule changes | Approved | Farm exporters and importers |
| Press Council of Pakistan Act 2026 | Deferred for more consultation | Newspapers, journalists, readers who complain |
The foreign exchange bill reviews fines and penalties
The Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 reviews the penalties and financial fines for foreign exchange violations, the government said. The bill text has not been published. The current law, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947, already allows up to five years in jail.
Under the 1947 Act as it stands on Pakistan Code, the main points are these:
- Most violations are tried by a Sessions Judge acting as a special tribunal. The punishment is rigorous imprisonment of up to five years, a fine, or both.
- Those offences are cognizable and non-bailable. Police can arrest without a warrant.
- Some violations, such as delaying export proceeds, go to State Bank adjudication instead. The penalty there can reach five times the amount involved.
- Exchange companies and authorised dealers who break their licence terms face State Bank penalties of up to Rs 500,000 for each violation.
Every penalty in the current law is set out in our guide to foreign exchange law penalties in Pakistan. Which numbers the bill changes will be clear only when its text reaches Parliament.
The Press Council Act 2026 needs more consultation
The CCLC deferred the draft Press Council of Pakistan Act 2026 for further consultation. That means the Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance 2002 stays in force for now. Readers can still complain about a newspaper under it, with a Rs 1,000 fee for individuals.
The 2002 Ordinance asks you to write to the editor first, within 15 days of the story. If the paper does not fix it, you can go to the Council. The steps are in our guide on how to complain to the Press Council of Pakistan. The government has not published the 2026 draft, so its changes are not known.
Armed forces LPR, SECP laws and plant protection were also approved
Three more drafts were cleared. One covers leave prior to retirement (LPR) for the Armed Forces, including payment for any part of that leave not used. Another replaces the words "Federal Government" with named authorities in laws run by the SECP. The third moves plant protection work to NAFSA.
LPR is the leave a government employee can take just before retirement. For federal civil servants, the Revised Leave Rules 1980 already allow up to 365 days of LPR, and encashment of that leave. How that works is in our guide to LPR encashment for federal employees. The armed forces proposal is separate and its details were not released.
NAFSA is the National Agriculture Trade and Food Safety Authority. The approved package moves plant protection functions to it, amends the plant protection rules and arranges the transfer of legal documents. Farm exporters who deal with plant health papers should watch for the new rules.
The sugar export committee asked for close watch on retail prices
A steering committee on surplus sugar exports, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, met on 13 November 2026. It looked at how to balance exports with home needs so that sugar stays available and prices stay stable. Officials were told to monitor retail prices closely.
The committee did not announce a new export quantity or a new retail price. Sugar was Rs 139.95 a kilo in the PBS weekly survey to 12 November, down 0.43% in a week and 24.54% lower than a year ago, as shown in our SPI report for 12 November. The earlier export decision is in our page on the ECC's sugar export approval.
Ishaq Dar also chaired the committee that monitors austerity and conservation measures on 13 November. It reviewed how ministries are following earlier decisions on spending. No new measure was announced. The current rules are in our page on federal austerity measures for 2026-27.
What happens next to these drafts
A CCLC approval sends a draft on to the next forum. For a bill, the usual route is the federal cabinet, then the National Assembly and the Senate, then the President's assent.
- The ministry takes the CCLC-cleared draft to the federal cabinet.
- If the cabinet approves, a bill is introduced in the National Assembly or the Senate.
- A standing committee examines it and may change it.
- Both houses pass it and the President signs it.
- It is published in the Gazette of Pakistan and takes effect as stated.
Each stage is explained in how a bill becomes law in Pakistan. The last round of committee decisions is in our page on the cabinet committee decisions of 29 and 30 October.
Common questions
What did the cabinet committee approve on 13 November 2026?
The Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026, an armed forces LPR proposal, changes to SECP laws and a plant protection package for NAFSA.
Is the Foreign Exchange Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 a law now?
No. It has only cleared the cabinet's law committee. It still needs the cabinet, both houses of Parliament and the President.
What does the foreign exchange bill change?
The government says it reviews penalties and fines for foreign exchange violations. The text has not been published, so the new amounts are not known.
What happened to the Press Council of Pakistan Act 2026?
The committee deferred it for further consultation. The 2002 Press Council Ordinance remains the law.
Did the sugar committee change the sugar price?
No. It told officials to monitor retail prices and keep supply stable while exports continue. No new price or quantity was announced.
What is NAFSA?
The National Agriculture Trade and Food Safety Authority. Plant protection functions are being moved to it.
How we verified this
What we checked and where we read it.
We checked these decisions on 14 November 2026 in three Press Information Department releases dated 13 November 2026 on pid.gov.pk: PR No. 161 on the CCLC meeting, PR No. 164 on the sugar export steering committee and PR No. 154 on the austerity monitoring committee. Current penalty rules are from the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 on Pakistan Code.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
