Daily Archives: September 23, 2022

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged the international community to provide urgent and adequate assistance to countries suffering from the impact of climate change.

Addressing G77 and China annual meeting of Foreign Ministers in New York on Friday, he said Pakistan has suffered massively by floods global warming in the wake of devastating floods.

He said Pakistan emits less than one percent of global greenhouse emissions, yet it is now the epicenter of the impacts of climate change.  He said one-third of Pakistan is under water. A thousand people were killed and thousands more injured. He said thirty-three million people have been affected and six million are absolutely destitute. He said around 1.7 million homes, over twelve thousand kilometers of roads, 350 bridges and five million acres of crops, have been destroyed.

The Foreign Minister said that the total damage is estimated at over 30 billion dollars.

The Foreign Minister called for mobilizing urgent humanitarian, economic and financial support to the more than 50 developing countries which are in economic distress. He, however, welcomed the proposal of UN Secretary-General for a “SDG stimulus” of 500 billion dollars to enable those countries which are in extreme economic distress to revive their economies and development objectives.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasised on providing emergency food supplies through the World Food Programme to the 250 million people in food distress. He said prices should be moderated by enlarging food production and supplies and support small farmers access to seeds, fertilizer and finance.

The Foreign Minister stressed the need to promote global structures and policies to enable all developing countries to achieve the SDGs and goals of the Paris Agreement. He said we need to mobilize one trillion dollars annually as investment in sustainable infrastructure like energy, transport, and housing. He said we must secure fulfillment of the pledge by the industrial countries to provide 100 billion dollars plus annually in climate finance. He said half of his amount should be allocated to climate adaptation and a financing facility to compensate developing countries for “loss and damage” from climate impacts. Meanwhile, the developed countries must assume the burden of mitigation to reach net zero emissions well before 2050.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said preferential trade access for developing countries should be enlarged and they should be offered policy space for industrialization. He said the induction of a fair international tax regime, including digital trade, is essential to enable developing countries to mobilize larger domestic resources for development. He said we should seek an equitable international information technology regime which bridges the digital divide and enables the developing countries to “leap frog” into the global digital economy of the future.

Highlighting the importance of connectivity for development and trade, investment and economic efficiency, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan looks forward to completion of the TAPI gas pipeline, the CASA 1000 electricity grid, the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railroad, as well as the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan. He said once Pakistan-India relations are normalized, we can look forward to the integration of the emerging economies of South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited flood affected areas of Badin on Friday.

According to the ISPR, the COAS spent time with flood affected people in relief and medical camps and also met Army troops busy in rescue & relief activities in Malkani Sharif, district Badin.

Later, COAS was flown for aerial reconnaissance of flood affected areas of Badin and surroundings.

COAS also interacted with business community at Karachi.

During the interaction, COAS said the business community has always helped people of Pakistan during various natural calamities including their support in recent floods. The business community members acknowledged the role and sacrifice made by the Pakistan Army in providing safe environment for the country’s economic prosperity and assured COAS maximum support for the flood affected people.

Source: Radio Pakistan

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial has urged the legislature, the executive, and other state organs to play their role to uphold rule of law and supremacy of constitution in the country.

Addressing the 9th international judicial conference in Islamabad on Friday, he said the judiciary alone cannot pursue these ideals single handedly.

The Chief Justice said that the court has the power to declare the rights guaranteed to the people by the constitution and the law but it cannot implement the same except in some circumstances. He said it is therefore the executive which must take charge in this regard and ensure that the words of the court are translated into practical actions for the people.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan said the bar is also expected to join hands in delivery of justice to the people.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said apart from enforcing the fundamental rights of marginalized segments of the society, the apex court of Pakistan has also delivered landmark judgments to reinforce other dimensions of rule of law. In this respect, the court has come a long way to become a champion for cause of democracy in the country by burying the doctrine of necessity which in the past had been resorted to justify the imposition of martial law.

The Chief Justice recalled that the court had to intervene after the President ordered dissolution of National Assembly in April 2022 on the advice of the then Prime Minister. He said the court found the dissolution as unconstitutional and ordered restoration of the National Assembly for the formation of a parliamentary government in accordance with the provisions of constitution.

The Chief Justice said regardless of the efforts of the court to strengthen democracy in the country, progress can only be made if all political parties come together to follow the established democratic practices and perform their respective roles in the parliament under the constitution.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan said a purely political impasse does not have legal solutions. It can only be resolved through dialogue between political leaders and their parties. He said the judiciary has no role to break a political deadlock. He said like other citizens, it is our sincere hope that the political leadership of the country shall take necessary corrective steps and confidence building measures with national interest as their foremost consideration.

The Chief Justice said our court recognizes climate justice as essential facet of the rule of law.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the apex court has also been active in dispensing in social, economic and cultural justice to the people.

The Chief Justice said concerted efforts are underway to reduce the backlog of cases to ensure that justice is delivered inexpensively and expeditiously to litigants. He said the litigants are encouraged to make use of alternate dispute resolution mechanisms to amicably resolve their legal disputes. He said other measures include digitalization of the judiciary and hearing of cases through video links. He said we are also prioritizing early release of cause lists.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan we have managed for the first time to reverse the trend of increasing backlog.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the judiciary is ready and willing to defend the constitution.

Earlier speaking on the occasion, Chairman Organizing Committee of the Conference Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan said this conference will help to cover the gulf between public and the judiciary. He said this conference also provides a platform to bring reforms in the judicial system of the country.

Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan said judiciary has a significant role in maintaining rule of law and upholding the supremacy of constitution.

Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Athar Minallah in his remarks called for improving governance of court system. He said there is a lot of space to be improved. He said Islamabad High Court is taking numerous steps to reform court system.

Chief Justice Balochistan High Court Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan highlighted the progress made by judicial system in Balochistan. He said role of information technology cannot be denied to improve and expedite the process of justice.

On the occasion, Acting Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwer said Shariat Court has zero pendency of cases. He said Shariat court is also taking steps to help legislative in incorporating Islamic injunctions in various laws.

Chief Justice Supreme Court Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Saeed Akram Khan said rule of law cannot be achieved with an independent judiciary.

Acting Chief Judge of Gilgit Baltistan Justice Wazir Shakeel Ahmed emphasized to bring GB judiciary at par with that of in Pakistan and other provinces.

Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh in his remarks said it is responsibility of judiciary to ensure that there is no discrimination in society.

Chief Justice Peshawar High Court Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan called for introspection and self-accountability. He said Peshawar High Court is taking steps to establish district court in newly merged districts.

Chief Justice Lahore High Court Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti said LHC is making all out efforts to reduce backlog of cases. He said over one hundred and seventy thousand cases were disposed of by LHC whereas 2.9 million cases were decided by LHC.

On the occasion, Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Amir Rehman read a message on behalf of Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali. He called for reforming lower courts to improve justice system of the country.

A short documentary about the evolution and progress of judicial system in Pakistan was also screened.

Source: Radio Pakistan