Senate panel approves cosmetics bill with jail terms, fines

The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology on Monday approved the Pakistan General Cosmetics Bill 2026, legislation that would create a regulator for cosmetic products and provide for prison terms of up to seven years and fines of up to Rs5 million for manufacturing or importing substandard items, ARY News reported.

The committee met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha. Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj briefed members on the need for the law, saying unsafe and substandard cosmetics could pose serious health risks, including skin cancer. He said regulatory control over locally made and imported cosmetic products was currently inadequate, and that the absence of proper legislation and standards had also held back Pakistan's ability to export cosmetics.

Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi told the committee that standards were needed if Pakistani cosmetic products were to compete in international markets. Officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice said the proposed legislation would give a legal basis for penalising those involved in manufacturing and importing substandard products.

TechJuice reported the meeting differently, describing it as a review of the bill rather than an approval, and said the committee directed the Pakistan Cosmetics Manufacturers Association (PCMA) to register itself. According to that report, the government had agreed in principle to introduce a new law for the sector to curb smuggling. Senator Agha was quoted as saying no single association could be given exclusive rights, and that an association should register with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan once it has 100 members.

Law ministry officials told the committee that an association cannot be given a place in the law until it is registered. Other officials said the PCMA is registered with all relevant institutions, and that the proposed law would widen the scope to cover both manufacturers and importers. Harraj said the association would be given representation on the board and that the bill would help curb smuggling in the sector.

The naming of the body also drew discussion. Harraj said the name "All Pakistan General Cosmetics Association" had been finalised and that the association would not be able to register if the name was not agreed upon, adding that the government did not want to affect the association's previous identity and legacy. Responding to a question from Senator Afnanullah on whether the relevant authorities were satisfied with the proposed law, cosmetics officials said they were, but PCMA officials objected to Sub-clause 4 of Clause 2 of the amendment bill. The chairman also asked whether any proposals had been prepared for the amendment bill.

The committee stressed the need for effective regulation of cosmetic products, action against counterfeit goods and safeguards to prevent the misuse of regulatory powers.