People’s faith in present justice system has shaken: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said Friday that the masses’ faith in the present justice system was shaken to a great extent and they had hopes in the incumbent government for improvement in the system.

He observed this while presiding over a review meeting on provision of speedy and inexpensive justice to people and the legal reforms so far carried out by the present government. The meeting was attended by Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Adviser for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Zahiruddin Babar Awan, Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan, Parliamentary Secretary for Law Malaika Ali Bukhari and other senior officials.

The prime minister said that to remove lacunas in the present justice system and ensuring easy access to speedy and inexpensive justice to people was the fundamental component of the PTI manifesto.

The expectations of the public for improving the justice system, he pointed out, were tied to the PTI government. The prime minister said the priority of the government was to be the voice of the weaker, hapless and the needy sections of society and ensure that they were provided justice.

The prime minister directed for thrashing out the roadmap for the criminal justice system reform, change in the thana culture, registration of cases, investigation, reform of prisons as early as possible so that their implementation could be ensured. He constituted a committee comprising law minister, advisor for parliamentary affairs and attorney general, and directed the committee to set up a timeline-based roadmap to push the legal reform process as expected by the public.

The law minister briefed the meeting about major reforms made in the justice system during the present government, such as early completion of civil cases, giving women the right to inheritance and providing legal support to the weaker sections of the state.

The meeting was informed that under the civil procedure reforms, time has been fixed for the completion of the cases that had been pending for years. The reforms process and the use of technology to improve the system will bring easy and immediate justice to the aggrieved persons.

The meeting decided to set up new forensic laboratory in the federal capital.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed on the need to continue with the process of institutional reforms, ensuring financial discipline so as to consolidate the process of stabilising economy while simultaneously providing possible relief to the people.

The prime minister said this while presiding over a meeting to review the state of economy of the country.

Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh presented an overview of the economy and highlighted stabilisation and improvement witnessed during first nine months of the current financial year in macroeconomic indicators. Preliminary discussion on the upcoming budget also took place with special focus on the need to deal with the emergent situation keeping in view government’s core priorities and moving the wheels of economy.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan constituted a committee headed by Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari to study and investigate the plight of women in prisons and whether or not the relevant rules and laws being adhered to.

The committee has been constituted taking into account the plight of the female prisoners, whether convicted or awaiting trial, in overall context of gender biasness prevalent in the society at large and issues associated therewith.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz also called on Imran Khan. Matters related to overall situation in the country came under discussion during the meeting.