Establishment of special courts for expats lauded

By Our Correspondent

February 08, 2025

This representational image shows the gavel in a courtroom. — Unsplash/File

LAHORE:Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Punjab organised an international conference at a local hotel on Friday.

OPC Punjab Commissioner Mirza Nasir Inayat provided a briefing on the establishment of special courts across 41 districts. The overseas Pakistanis greeted Punjab Chief Minister for passing the bill to establish these courts for expatriates. The participants also praised the initiatives taken by the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister.

The event was attended by expatriates from various parts of the world, Punjab cabinet ministers, lawyers, the business community, women, and representatives of the overseas minority community. Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister Zeeshan Malik was also present at the event.

The opening remarks were delivered by Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) UAE Irfan Ali Toor. OPC Punjab Vice Chairman Barrister Amjad Malik engaged in an open discussion with overseas Pakistanis, exchanging suggestions. He expressed gratitude to the UAE delegation and Irfan Toor for their excellent arrangements. He praised the significant contributions of overseas Pakistanis towards the development of the country.

OPC Punjab Commissioner highlighted the objectives and achievements of Punjab OPC, key statistics, and measures taken to prevent illegal occupation of overseas Pakistanis’ properties. He also discussed the establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis’ Properties) Act, which has now been officially approved by the Punjab governor.

Former federal minister and senior PMLN leader Abid Sher Ali, along with Provincial Minister for Zakat and Ushr Rashid Nasrullah, also addressed the gathering. Several PMLN leaders from different countries, including Ghulam Abbas Bhatti, UAE Chief Patron Sheikh Saeed Ahmed, Shamshad Khan Tanoli, Parvez Sandhu, Farzana Kausar, Shehzad Anwar Bhatti (Minority Wing), Hafiz Mir Shams, and others addressed the conference. Senior analyst Iftikhar Ahmed addressed the gathering as well.