Parliament passes invoice to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction
3 min readBy PTI
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Monday handed a invoice which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and likewise empowers the Centre to freeze, seize or connect monetary property and financial assets of individuals engaged in such actions.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, piloted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was handed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote at the same time as opposition events continued their protest over numerous points, together with the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a cash laundering case.
The invoice was accredited by the Lok Sabha in April.
Replying to a debate on the invoice, Jaishankar mentioned all members who spoke on the proposed laws recognised that terrorism is a severe menace and so are weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
He mentioned that the present legislation solely covers buying and selling and doesn’t cowl the financing of weapons of mass destruction.
ALSO READ | Parliament passes invoice to increase legal guidelines to Indian analysis stations in Antarctic area
“This gap needs to be filled because the recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force requires all countries, including us, to ensure that assets financing for WMD-related activities is prohibited. So keeping in mind this lacuna of the current law we have brought this amendment. This is good for the security of the country. This is good for the reputation of the country,” Jaishankar mentioned.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, handed in 2005, solely banned the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
The modification invoice seeks to insert a brand new Section 12A within the current legislation which states that “no person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
NEW DELHI: Parliament on Monday handed a invoice which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and likewise empowers the Centre to freeze, seize or connect monetary property and financial assets of individuals engaged in such actions.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, piloted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was handed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote at the same time as opposition events continued their protest over numerous points, together with the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a cash laundering case.
The invoice was accredited by the Lok Sabha in April.
Replying to a debate on the invoice, Jaishankar mentioned all members who spoke on the proposed laws recognised that terrorism is a severe menace and so are weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
He mentioned that the present legislation solely covers buying and selling and doesn’t cowl the financing of weapons of mass destruction.
ALSO READ | Parliament passes invoice to increase legal guidelines to Indian analysis stations in Antarctic area
“This gap needs to be filled because the recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force requires all countries, including us, to ensure that assets financing for WMD-related activities is prohibited. So keeping in mind this lacuna of the current law we have brought this amendment. This is good for the security of the country. This is good for the reputation of the country,” Jaishankar mentioned.
The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, handed in 2005, solely banned the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.
The modification invoice seeks to insert a brand new Section 12A within the current legislation which states that “no person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”
