ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Monday said there were no sacred cows in the country and warned lawyers and opposition parties of dire consequences if they take the law into their own hands during a possible protest against the filing of references against superior court judges in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

“The government has filed references against two superior court judges according to the law and the Constitution as no one is a sacred cow,” said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Fridous Ashiq Awan at a post-cabinet meeting press conference. She said Prime Minister Imran Khan, while presiding over the cabinet meeting, called for an across-the-board accountability and on the issue of references of judges he was of the view that “no one is above the law”.

Ms Awan said the military had its own accountability mechanism, and in case of any corruption committed by judges, their references were sent to the SJC, adding that the council was an independent body which was working under the judiciary, and not the government. “The constitutional way of filing references against judges was not devised by Prime Minister Khan but prescribed by the Constitution given by former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” she added.

The special assistant said that people and institutions believed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf would never become part of the status quo and take action against those involved in corruption irrespective of their status and position. “Prime Minister Imran had remained part of the movement to restore the deposed judges and is ready to bring every type of reforms to make the judiciary independent and autonomous.”

Minister says that on the issue of references against judges, PM is of the view that ‘no one is above the law’

Ms Awan also urged the media to behave responsibly and avoid publishing/airing speculative news about the reference until the SJC announced its decision.

The government has filed two separate references in SJC — one against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court and another against Justice Karim Khan Agha of the Sindh High Court. The SJC had issued a notice to the federal government through the attorney general and fixed the hearing on June 14.

According to media reports, the references accuse the two judges of concealing their assets and recommend action against them under Article 209 of the Constitution.

Ms Awan said the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU) of the Prime Minister Office had forwarded the complaints it received to the law ministry after verification and counter-verification.

The law ministry had also carried out its own re-verification before forwarding the summary to the president who then sent it to the SJC, she added.

“The complaint had been verified and ratified by the UK land registry, notarised and endorsed by the High Commission of Pakistan in London,” she said.

Lawyers’ representative bodies across the country have convened their meetings after Eid to devise a future strategy as the legal fraternity and opposition parties have opposed the government’s move to file the references against the two judges, terming it an effort to undermine the independence of judiciary. The opposition-dominated Senate had last week adopted by a majority vote a resolution demanding withdrawal of the references against the two judges.

Programme for the disabled

The federal cabinet directed the special assistant to the prime minister on social protection and poverty alleviation to formulate a comprehensive outreach programme for persons with disabilities and present it along with implementation modalities after Eid holidays.

The cabinet directed that the programme for persons with disabilities should include modalities to ensure that all present and future policies were brought under the ambit of the Ehsas Programme. The poverty alleviation and social safety division will be the focal point for the purpose and coordinate with all federal and provincial organisations working for the cause of persons with disabilities to achieve synergy and optimise results.

The programme will ensure implementation of two per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities in letter and spirit, in addition to 2pc quota under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme to cater to housing requirements of these persons. The program will also ensure provision of free assistive technologies such as hearing aid, and canes and wheelchairs, in a phased manner, to the disabled.

Provision of health insurance cards to the persons with disabilities will also be ensured under the programme.

The special assistant has also been asked to devise a mechanism under which certificate of degree of disability is issued by the government-approved hospitals to the concerned in accordance with the United Nations Charter. The programme will ensure that public places and buildings are designed and constructed in a manner to address special needs of the persons with disabilities.

The cabinet was informed that the Capital Development Authority had already directed the owners of buildings in the federal capital to ensure that buildings were equipped with requisite facilities for the persons with special needs.

Prime Minister Khan observed during the meeting that facilitating the persons with disabilities was among the foremost priorities of the government, adding that in the past special persons and their needs were neglected.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2019