ISLAMABAD Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday directed all the stakeholders to vigorously pursue the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s (SIFC) initiatives through a collaborative approach to reap the dividend in short to medium terms, besides initiating processes for long term endeavours in the larger national interest.
The prime minister said this while chairing the 7th meeting of the Apex Committee of SIFC that was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, members of the federal cabinet, provincial chief ministers and high level government officials.
The meeting was held to review various initiatives being led through the SIFC forum, a PM Office press release said.
In the meeting, the ministries presented progress on projects identified in key sectors and gave plans to further improve the ecosystem for realizing the envisaged investments in a timely manner.
The committee showed extreme satisfaction on overall progress under the umbrella of SIFC, appreciated the enhancing level of
engagements with friendly countries, both public and private entities, and the outreach strategy to proactively engage investors’ community, which was translating in enhanced traction and approvals at domestic and global stages.
It reviewed progress on various measures undertaken to improve investment climate and approved policy level interventions to further improve investors’ confidence including repatriation of profits, strengthening domestic dispute resolution mechanism, infrastructural and human resource development, and speedy operationalization of EXIM Bank.
The committee also directed to make a comprehensive strategy to address oil and gas issues in a sustainable manner by investing in relevant industries.
The apex body reviewed and appreciated the progress on privatization of State-Owned-Enterprises and directed to keep the process at fast pace.
The Chief of Army Staff reassured undaunted resolve of the Pakistan Army to backstop government initiatives in various domains for sustainable recovery o
f the economy.
ISLAMABAD The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday extended its stay order until November 20, against the jail trial of the chairman of PTI in a cipher case and adjourned the further hearing.
A division bench comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz heard the appeals of the PTI chairman against his jail trial.
At the outset of the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel Salman Akram Raja argued that the trial court continued the hearing until 3:30 pm on the said day despite the IHC’s stay order.
However, special prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the trial court stopped the proceeding when it was informed about the stay order.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan read out the judgment of the single-member bench and said that it had stated that the jail trial should also be an open trial. Justice Miangul Hassan remarked that the open proceeding meant that it should be open for everyone. He asked whether the two notifications regarding the jail trial were
in accordance with the law.
The AGP said that this intra-court appeal was not maintainable, adding that the single-member bench had clarified that the jail trial was an open proceeding. He said that the case challan was submitted on October 2, and the charges were framed on October 23. The notification of the jail trial of the chairman PTI was issued because of his security issues, he said, adding that the judge of the special court wrote to the law ministry in this regard.
The AGP said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi has given an application for a trial in the regular court, which was terminated by the court. He said that a co-accused couldn’t be tried separately in the regular court in the same case.
Salman Akram Raja said that the documents summoned by the court were not produced yet. He said that the application of Shah Mehmood Qureshi has no connection with this case.
The AGP said that he has submitted a paper book in which all documents, including the approval of the federal cabinet, have also been attach
ed.
Justice Miangul Hassan remarked that Mr. Qureshi might file an intra-court appeal (ICA) against the judgment of the single-member bench. He said that the chairman PTI was in Attock Jail when the decision came on his petition, adding that there could be security concerns when the accused was in Attock Jail. The status has changed after the shifting of the chairman PTI to Adiala Jail, he said. The court asked under what process the law ministry has issued the NOC for the jail trial of the accused.
The court remarked that the accused could face the death penalty or a lifetime jail in this case.
The AGP said that the federal government issued the last notification on November 13. The prosecution has applied for a jail trial, and the special court disposed of the case with instructions, he said.
He said that the trial court had written a letter to the federal government through the district magistrate.
The AGP said that the judge has requested a jail trial for the first time on September 12; to this, the
bench noted that but it was for one time. Why the judge wrote to the federal government after rejecting the application of prosecution, the bench asked.
The AGP said that the prosecution has given an application to stop the public entry to the court. Jail trial and keeping the public out were two different things, he said.
The court said that the statements of three witnesses were recorded in the same situation in which charges were framed. The AGP said that the lawyers had permission to go to the courtroom. Now a big room has been allocated in jail for the proceeding, he said. He said that the jail trial was not an in-camera proceeding.
The further hearing of the case was then adjourned until November 20.