ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice has approved “The Legal Aid and Justice Authority Bill, 2019” aimed at providing “legal, financial and added assistance for access to justice to the poor and vulnerable segments of society”.

The bill, which was introduced by the Ministry of Law and Justice, however, will provide assistance in “criminal cases and ancillary matters” only.

For enforcement of the legislation, the bill also proposed establishment of an Islamabad-based justice authority that may set up its offices across the country. The authority would be governed by a high-level board of governors comprising minister for human rights, attorney general, advocate general of each province and Islamabad, secretaries of relevant ministries, vice chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council and others.

The standing committee cleared the bill and referred it to the National Assembly.

Complete record sought in judges’ murder and Sri Lankan cricket team attack cases

When Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Nafeesa Shah asked Law Minister Dr Farogh Nasim if the proposed justice authority would extend assistance to female litigants, he said it would only offer help in criminal cases, besides assisting poor inmates in payment of fine.

The NA committee also considered a judicial commission’s report on terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore and murder of judges in Sialkot district jail.

The committee explored way to implement the commission’s report that recommended action against the police officers and suggested not to assign them field responsibilities for showing negligence.

When the home secretary was asked to explain progress on implementation of the report, the committee was informed that the establishment division could brief members of the committee in this regard.

After detailed deliberations, the committee advised the Punjab home secretary, additional inspector general of Punjab and additional secretary of establishment division to attend its next meeting with complete record and details of the case.

About the Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the standing committee sought a written report from the National Commission on Status of Women and recommended deferment of the bill till next meeting with an observation that representatives of the Council of Islamic Ideology and NCSW be invited to the meeting.

Besides, the committee deferred the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which is aimed at shortening the decades-long proceeding in the civil matter and abolishing a second round of litigation.

Regarding a public petition on crashes of PIA Fokker flights of Multan and Chitral and compensation announced for the affected families, the complainants apprised the committee that PIA representatives had agreed to pay the same amount as decreed by the Sindh High Court. They said both parties had agreed to implement and comply with the court decision.

Renowned singer-turned Islamic preacher Junaid Jamshed and his wife were also travelling on the plane that crashed on its way to Islamabad from Chitral.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2019