Karachi: The Sindh Assembly has passed a bill that makes keeping records of tenants and temporary residents mandatory under the National Action Plan to curb terrorism. According to a news source, the Sindh Information of Temporary Residents Bill 2015 will be enforced after approval from the Sindh governor.
The owners of houses, guesthouses and hotels are now required to provide information about their tenants and guests to police. Under the new law, failing to provide the details of tenants within 48 hours would be considered a non-bailable offence and would lead to imprisonment for up to 6 months and a fine between Rs 10,000 and Rs 45,000.
Reportedly, the opposition expressed its concerns about the bill, chief among which were fears that the police would misuse the law. Sindh Assembly Opposition Leader Mr Shahryar Khan Mahar suggested amendments to extend the reporting time of 48 hours and make the offence bailable. However, the treasury benches rejected the recommendations by a majority vote.
The news source reported further that not only landlords and property dealers but also owners and managers of hotels would have to face the same punishment if they failed to provide information of their tenants and guests to police.
The law also requires the property owners to keep any tenants from occupying the premises unless they are satisfied with their proofs of identification. Furthermore, the landowners, property dealers and managers of hotels are required to provide a copy of their CNICs or passports of every tenant to police.
Police will maintain the records of tenants and guests and analyse the data to prevent, detect and investigate any unfortunate events.
