Terming effective dispensation of justice the state responsibility, Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said the government’s reforms in the civil and criminal procedure code would ensure speedy dispensation of justice.
“Massive amendments will help bring a revolution in the criminal justice system and simplify procedure for the common man in the way to justice,” Imran said while addressing an event on criminal law and justice reforms. Imran said for the first time, the government was making changes to the law made in the British rule to bring improvement to dispensation of justice. He said no government in the past ever thought about reforming the century-old laws so that they could maintain the status quo and accommodate the elite.
The premier said civil law reforms were a step towards ensuring the rule of law in the country, and that too in line with Islam’s first socio-welfare state of Madinah.
He quoted a hadith of Prophet (PBUH), emphasising that many earlier nations were destroyed because there were separate laws for the powerful and the weak.
Imran said ensuring the rule of law would encourage foreign investors and overseas Pakistanis to invest their money in the country.
Federal Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem said the Code of Criminal Procedure needed changes and mentioned that the newly-introduced 700 amendments had completely overhauled the existing legal system. He mentioned that formation of a statute of an independent prosecution service, forensic laboratory, and prison rules were significant reforms.
Naseem said the law was made for mandatory dispensation of budget to the police station to meet the expenses of investigation, besides deputing sub-inspector at police stations with preferably a bachelor’s degree. He added the trial judge would be answerable to the high courts for not finalising a case within nine months. The court can freeze any documents, including identity cards, bank accounts, etc. of an absconder, he added. He urged lawyers to support the reform of electronic recording of witnesses, whether in any language, to ensure accuracy and expedition of cases. In cases of personal offences, including murder or rape, the maker of the video will not be made mandatory to appear before the law to render witness as proof of the incident, he said.
