ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: Filing of false FIRs (first information reports) will be considered a 'crime' under legal reforms being formulated by the government, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao told Dawn on Thursday.

He said amendments were being made to the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and other laws to facilitate people and ensure early disposal of pending cases. He said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had presided over a meeting on the legal reforms proposed by the law ministry. More meetings would be held to finalize the package, Mr Sherpao said.

Speaking in the meeting, the prime minister said the government was committed to providing quick access to justice by revamping the legal system. He said every effort would be made to uphold the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.

The prime Minister said the amendments were aimed at minimizing delay and reducing the number of pending cases, which was choking the system. The government, he said, had initiated a consultative process for checking police brutalities and highhandedness and making access to justice faster and simpler.

"Delay in dispensation of justice is one of the root causes of the unrest, anger and frustration seen in the society," he observed. He said access to quick and inexpensive justice remained one of the most cherished objectives of the government.

The prime minister underlined the need to change the culture and psyche of police. "Unless we change the mindset, we would not be able to reform the system. Not only the investigation time has to be reduced but also its quality has to be improved," he said.

He emphasized the need to strengthen the system of alternative dispute resolution through reconciliation committees. The meeting discussed the proposed amendments being made to ensure quick access to justice and discourage frivolous litigation.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Law and Justice Minister Mohammad Wasi Zafar, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Kashmir Affairs Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, Housing and Works Minister Syed Safwanullah and the attorney general.