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Govt to set up separate judicial system for overseas Pakistanis: Fawad
Dawn.comFebruary 15, 2022
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry addresses a pres conference in Islamabad. — DawnNewsTV
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry announced on Tuesday that the government had decided to set up a separate judicial system for overseas Pakistanis, an important support base of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
He made this announcement while addressing a press conference after a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad.
"We [cabinet] have given approval for a separate judicial system for overseas Pakistanis, continuing our tradition to think about and work for their benefit," he said, adding that under this system, summary trials would be held for the cases of overseas Pakistanis.
The minister said an act for the implementation of this system in Islamabad had been sent to the Council of Common Interests and later, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would adopt the same law.
After this, he said, the system would be installed everywhere there was a PTI government, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
In this connection, he acknowledged that principally, expeditious trials were the right of every citizen.
"But overseas Pakistanis come from abroad ... They can't stay here for long and so this has been done for them," he explained.
'Cabinet concerned over numerous stay orders'
Earlier in his address, Chaudhry told media persons that the cabinet had also expressed concerns over the large number of stay orders, which he said contributed to preventing the Federal Board of Revenue from collecting revenue of over Rs3 million.He said the country was facing an "administrative crisis" due to the large number of stay orders and the law ministry had been asked to take up this matter with the chief justice of Pakistan and chief justices of high courts.
"It has been recommended that there should be a separate forum to resolve such policy issues and the cabinet hopes that the chief justice of Pakistan will present a serious point of view of the judiciary over this matter," he added.
The minister said setting up the forum would not be a "political decision" but a means to address an "administrative need".
Laws to address 'derogatory language, propaganda campaigns'
Moreover, Chaudhry said the cabinet had decided to address the issue of "derogatory language" being used on social media and some television.The government, he said, intended to frame laws in this regard and take strict measures.
Without specifying what he was referring to, the minister said this issue was "not just individuals but institutions and Pakistan's security".
"Propaganda campaigns are launched on such kind of issues that they pose a threat to Pakistan's national security," he said, not elaborating on this comment.
But no action could be action could be taken against those involved in such activities as these were bailable offences, he regretted, adding that the law ministry had been asked to improve laws pertaining to such matters and frame laws under which strict measures could be taken.