PM summons details of under-trial cases in international courts

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday took notice of under-trial pending cases in international courts and summoned details of cases from authorities concerned.
According to details, the issue of under-trial cases in international courts was raised in the cabinet meeting. Some cabinet members expressed concerns over Pakistan losing cases in international courts.
Federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari told the cabinet that Pakistan has spent billions of rupees on under-trial cases and lost several cases despite paying huge amounts to lawyers. Taking notice of the pending cases in international courts, the Prime Minister summoned details of under-trial cases and lawyers looking over those cases in international courts.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan opposed the mortgaging of Islamabad’s biggest park, F-9 Park, for launching the Islamic-denominated Ijara Sukuk bonds at domestic and international markets. The cabinet decided to mortgage Islamabad Club instead of the F-9 Park named after Fatimah Jinnah.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan is set to address a public rally in Kotli on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day (February 5).
According to a statement issued from the PTI Azad Jammu and Kashmir, PM Imran Khan met his party’s chief organiser Saifullah Niazi and former premier of AJK Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry.
The PTI’s statement said Barrister Chaudhry, who is also the president of the party’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter, and Niazi “called on PM Imran Khan at Islamabad for a detailed meeting wherein the Premier announced to visit Kotli, a town near Line of Control (LoC) on February 5 and will address a gathering.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet has approved the constitution of an inquiry commission to investigate the Broadsheet issue.
Information Minister Syed Shibli Faraz announced this while briefing the media on Tuesday about decisions taken in the federal cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.
The information minister said the commission instead of a committee is being set up under the Commission of Inquiry Act 2017 to probe the revelations made by the Broadsheet. “The results of the Broadsheet LLC probe will be released within 45 days,” the minister claimed.
He said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) compromised Pakistan’s moral values because the politicians misused it. Taking a jibe at previous governments, he said that in the past, many people were “spared despite their corrupt practices” while many others were “even given ministries [to hide their corruption]” he said. He said that the NRO has always pushed the country backwards because whenever the rulers of this country were charged with corruption, they saved themselves by using the NRO.
Faraz said that Adviser on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain briefed the cabinet on abolishing 70,000 vacancies in various ministries and divisions and reducing the number of federal government institutions from 441 to 324. He said that expenditure of ministries and institutions has not been increased in the last two years. It was said that a restructuring plan of seven institutions have been submitted to the concerned ministries for implementation.
Faraz said the cabinet also approved reconstitution of a committee regarding regularisation of contract and daily-wager employees in light of the Islamabad High Court’s decision.
He said recommendations of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations also got the cabinet’s nod regarding import of the coronavirus vaccine.
Syed Shibli Faraz said the meeting was briefed that exports witnessed a significant rise, remittances increased by $2.8 billion and foreign exchange reserves surged by $2 billion in the last six months. Tax collection swelled by 7.9 percent in December last year, while funds utilized under the Public Sector Development Programme increased by 7.4 percent as compared to the same period last fiscal year.
The information minister said the cabinet extended application of Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952 to the employees of National Institutional Facilitation Technologies, Pakistan Security Printing Corporation and Security Papers Limited Karachi for another six months period.
The minister also shed light on the topic of Senate elections and said that it has always been a priority of PM Imran Khan to make the poll as transparent as possible. “Everyone knows that votes in the Senate elections are bought and sold,” Faraz maintained, adding that “electing such corrupt officials to the Senate would not serve this country.”
“The PM has made it clear that there should be an open-ballot voting system in the Senate elections,” he said. “If we have to go to the Parliament with regards to the Senate elections, we will definitely go there and leave no stone unturned.” He said the PTI government envisages a system in the Senate where “nobody would ever raise the issue of rigging.” – TLTP