September 22, 2002	Sunday	Rajab 14, 1423

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LAHORE, Sept 21: The Punjab government is considering to write to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to proceed against those who had attached forged credentials with their nomination papers as well as to institute criminal cases against such candidates after the polls.

This was stated by provincial Law Minister Rana Ijaz Ahmad while talking to this scribe here on Saturday.

He said cases would be registered after seeking opinion from legal experts. This was likely to be done after the election to avoid the impression of victimization of the opposition parties candidates.

When pointed out that certain people who had either been convicted or were being investigated and tried by the NAB courts were contesting the polls from the platform of the PML-QA or were supporting its candidates, the minister said the government was not backing anyone.

It was the duty of the opponents of such politicians to challenge their candidature and the government would not object to it in any manner, he said.

Rana Ijaz said it was primarily the job of the election commission or the election tribunals to take notice of the ineligibility of such candidates. So far as the government was considered it was impartial and not backing anyone under the instructions of the ECP, he claimed.

He said the government’s impartiality was evident from the fact that it was not interfering with the election of people like PML-N candidate from Muridke Rana Tanvir who were convicted by the NAB court, and the PPP’s Faisal Saleh Hayat and Jehangir Badar facing NAB cases.

ROLE OF NAZIM: Replying to a question that certain Nazimeen like Lahore’s Mian Amer were reportedly supporting the PML-QA candidates and targeting the PPP and the PML-N, he said: “The government would take a stern action against those found guilty of violating the law provided concrete evidence was given against such public office-holders.”

The minister conceded that no Nazim could take part in political activities under the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, and said “those found doing so could even face dismissal.”

“People finding the Nazimeen showing partiality should write to the election commission and to the provincial government with proof so that justice could be done,” he added.

He denied that the government was lending support to the PML-QA — being touted as the king’s party. The sitting governments support their parties in elections throughout the world. But, since the Pakistan government did not represent any party, it was not supporting anyone. Instead it was following the instructions of the election commission, he claimed.

JUDICIAL REFORMS: Rana Ijaz said the federal government was releasing Rs2 billion to match the $350 million Asian Development Bank grant for implementing judicial reforms in the country last year.

He said the funds could not be utilized because of the reluctance of the Lahore High Court to approve the scheme which had now been okayed by the new chief justice.

He said under the plan the number of judges in the higher courts and in the subordinate judiciary as well as the relevant staff would be enhanced. They would be provided more facilities, staff and salary. Courtrooms and lawyers’ chambers would be inter-linked through computers.

He said Bar rooms, libraries and cafeterias would also be linked with the courtrooms through computers so that lawyers could know which court was hearing which case. It would help them to go to the courtrooms only when their case was being taken up for hearing, instead of waiting for it for hours there.

The minister said the lawyers would be able to send case laws to the judges through computers. The judges would also be able to find the latest and relevant case laws on computers having access to the world libraries.

He said under the plan women lawyers would be provided platform to plead family matters. And to facilitate them the family laws had been amended, allowing verdict on different matters like sustenance allowance, dowry and custody of children on one simple petition.

The minister said under the amended law, the family judges were required to decide cases in six months. In case of the failure of any family judge to do so, the high courts would automatically take up the matter and decide it within one month.

He said the plan also included construction of airconditioned rest rooms for litigants at the tehsil and district headquarter courts. Private parties would be allowed to maintain these rest rooms where the people would be provided fax and telephone.

POLICE: Rana Ijaz said the Punjab government might bring the IGP under the administrative and financial control of the home secretary if the independence given to police under the recently promulgated police law proved problematic.

As was the case with the CrPC, the provinces had been given the concurrent jurisdiction to amend the police law for necessary administrative adjustments, he said.

Rana Ijaz said though the relevant rules of business had not yet been amended, the IGP enjoyed the status of the secretary of the government in financial and administrative matters under the police law. — IH