Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that effective justice dispensation was the state’s duty, and that the government was changing British-era legislation for the first time in the country’s history.
The premier indicated that amendments to the civil and criminal procedural codes would provide fast justice when speaking at a judicial reform event.
Imran claimed that the revisions would assist revolutionise the criminal justice system and make justice more accessible to the general public.
He went on to say that none of the previous governments had considered altering the century-old legislation in order to keep the status quo and appease the wealthy.
The prime minister went on to say that the civil law reforms were a step toward establishing rule of law in accordance with Islam’s first socio-welfare state, Medina, and that ensuring rule of law would encourage foreign investors and Pakistanis living abroad to invest in the country.
Speaking at the ceremony earlier, Federal Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem said the criminal procedural law needed to be updated to meet modern needs, adding that over 700 revisions had entirely changed the old legal system.
Significant revisions, according to Naseem, include the establishment of an independent prosecutor’s office, a forensic laboratory, and jail rules.
The minister went on to say that legislation were enacted to require the disbursement of funding to police stations to cover investigation costs, as well as the deployment of a sub-inspector with a bachelor’s degree at police stations.
He asked lawyers to promote the reform of electronic witness recording, in any language, in order to assure case accuracy and expediency.
He stated that in circumstances of personal offences like as murder or rape, the producer of the film will not be required to present in court as a witness to the crime.
He stressed the need of civil law reforms being implemented with the judges, benches, prosecutors, and investigators all playing active roles.
Over 700 revisions to the criminal procedure code, according to Parliamentary Secretary Maleeka Bokhari, are a “milestone” for the PTI-led government and would ensure speedy delivery of justice.
