Judiciary fully supports CPEC: CJP

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday said China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI) and judiciary of Pakistan fully supports it and committed to take measures to ease out commercial disputes for smooth implementation of CPEC projects.

According to a press release he said this in a meeting with President of the Supreme People’s Court of China Zhou Qiang in Beijing. The chief justice is on an official visit to China to attend the thirteenth meeting of the Presidents/ Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.

During the meeting, he said Pak-China relations are supported by peoples of the both countries. He apprised Zhou Qiang on the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the judicial institutions of the two countries last year, during the visit of chief justice to China.

The judicial cooperation between two countries has started gaining momentum and there is a huge potential for bilateral exchanges in the fields of arbitration, judicial training, automation of judicial systems and use of technology, he added.

He said Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has recently held a detailed meeting of all federal departments/ministries with special focus on CPEC. The SCP has also issued directions to the lower courts not to issue injunctive orders on CPEC projects unless the other parties have been heard.

He also briefed the Zhou Qiang about the recently concluded Islamabad Judicial Conference. President Zhou Qiang appreciated the initiatives taken by the SCP. He maintained that Pakistan China relations enjoy full confidence of the leadership of two countries and our bilateral cooperation has transformed into comprehensive strategic partnership.

Saqib Nisar also invited Zhou Qiang to visit Pakistan to attend the upcoming judicial conference on arbitration. He was accompanied by Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Umer Ata Bandial, during the meeting. President Zhou Qiang was accompanied by Pei Xianding, Head of the criminal tribunal of SPC and Yang Qingming, President of Beijing High Peoples Court.