- Farogh Naseem says it will be prerogative power of NAB trial court to grant bail or not to the accused
- Says govt will take further action against Judge Arshad Malik on instructions of IHC CJ Athar Minallah
- Says case of Kashmir will be contested at every forum
ISLAMABAD, August 21: Law Ministry drafted a total of 22 laws over the last one year with the aim to ensure speedy justice to the people and enhance the efficiency of the judicial system.
This was stated by Law Minister Barrister Dr Farogh Naseem at a news conference along with Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Parliamentary Secretary for Law Malika Ali Bukhari in Islamabad on Wednesday, sharing details of the one year performance of the Law Ministry.
The Law Minister said that seven of the bills have already been passed whilst the remaining seven to eight are before the standing committees or the National Assembly for passage. He said we also introduced eight ordinances.
Farogh Naseem said the Standing Committee on Law today passed the Civil Procedure (Amendment) bill of the law ministry. He said this bill is very important as it will ensure speedy trial of civil cases. He said the cases which earlier used to consume thirty to forty years will now be settled in a matter of one or one and a half year under this bill.
The Law Minister said we have also formulated a bill that will ensure issuance of succession certificate to the people in a matter of fifteen days. He said our Whistle blower act envisages reward of 20 per cent for those who would help recover illegal wealth. He said under this act, the name of information provider will be kept secret. He said the women protection bill will ensure right of women of in heritance.
The Law Minister said there is also a Legal Aid and Justice Authority bill which will provide free legal aid to the poor people including women and children.
He said the Mutual Legal Assistance Bill will regulate the procedure for rendering and soliciting mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
Faroogh Naseem said Pakistan Code envisaging eight hundred and forty eight laws have been uploaded on the website of the law ministry and the people now can easily access it. He said this is a first step towards provision of justice to the people at their doorsteps.
He said an app has also been prepared which will contain the archives of the last seventy two years.
Barrister Dr Farogh Nasim said amendments in the NAB laws are also being considered. He said the power of bail will be granted to the trial court under the amendments. Law Minister said that according to the judgment of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khose the NAB trial court should enjoy the powers of bail, adding that the government is going to do this and cabinet has approved this on Tuesday. He said that it will be the prerogative power of NAB trial court to grant bail or not to the accused. Farogh Nasim said that Supreme Court of Pakistan Judge Sheikh Azmat Saeed has given some directions regarding voluntary return and plea bargain sections of NAB law, adding that it is our thinking that plea bargain and VR should remain intact but this should not happen that a person after striking plea bargain return to his job, adding that to stop the abuse of this law the new law will be introduced.
He said that if a person is not connected with the holder of public office, is not his front man, spouse, relative and child, adding that the NAB jurisdiction or inquiry should be ended regarding a private person. He said that if there is a private dispute between the two persons and it is taken to NAB for arm twisting, it should not be under the jurisdiction of NAB. He said that the NAB was established to overcome mega corruption so it should focus on it so it could work in proper way.
Farogh Nasim said that according to the Al-Jehad Trust Case verdict of 1996 of Supreme Court of Pakistan the acting chief justice of any court could deal with day to day affairs and passing final judgment regarding any matter is the authority of the permanent chef justice of that court. Farogh Nasim said that the federal government had made accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik OSD while implementing the orders of acting chief justice of Islamabad High Court Justice Amir Farooq. He said that the government will take further action against Judge Arshad Malik on the instructions of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, adding that the government will obey the orders of IHC CJ.
Farogh Nasim said that the Kashmir issue is very near to the hearts of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and me and all of us and case of Kashmir will be contested at every forum. Law minister said that we will always talk about the international peace and it should not be considered as our weakness.-Sabah
