ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Prime Minister Imran Khan stated on Wednesday that the current administration was reforming the criminal justice system for the first time in the country’s history in order to implement its agenda for rule of law.
The prime minister, who was chairing a meeting on criminal justice reforms, stated that in the absence of the necessary modifications to the criminal justice system, discrimination between affluent and poor worsened.
The meeting attendees were informed that the unanimous decision was made after consulting with all stakeholders and taking into account the best practises in use internationally.
The revised system would include the digitization of the First Information Report (FIR), trial and appeal processes, electronic and digital evidence collecting tools, a change in the plea bargain method, and the use of video as evidence.
It was also reported that additional sections dealing with new offences such as stalking of women had been incorporated in the new law for women’s safety. The modifications to the PPC and CrPC are also included in the same reforms.
The bill containing the proposed adjustments would be introduced in parliament shortly, and if passed, it would not only prevent crimes but also provide for action against those who could not be arrested in the absence of the necessary legislative amendments in accordance with modern-day necessities.
In a briefing on the more than 600-point proposal, Law Minister Farogh Nasim stated that it was planned to make the degree of sub-inspector and graduation mandatory for all SHOs across the country. In the event that a FIR is not registered, an application will be made to the SP.
Cases must be decided within nine months, otherwise the judges involved will be held accountable to the High Court. According to Farogh Nasim, the High Court would be entitled to initiate disciplinary action against the judges for failing to complete the trial within nine months.
He also stated that the penalties for small offences will be decreased from five years to six months. In murder, rape, terrorism, treason, and other major crimes, there will be no plea bargaining, and mobile footage, images, voice recordings, and technological technologies will be accepted as evidence.
The prime minister praised the work of Law Minister Farogh Nasim, Parliamentary Secretary for Law Malika Bukhari, and legal team specialists, calling the measures “unavoidable” for the country’s rule of law.