ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: Federal Law Minister Mohammad Wasi Zafar has said the masses have welcomed government's move to introduce multiple legal reforms by amending several existing criminal and civil statutes through the Law Reforms Act 2005.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Zafar said the government had accorded priority to streamline the judicial work, a step long awaited and hailed by the people. Another feature of the legal reforms package, he said, was the setting up of the federal courts to deal with appeals from trial courts in federal cases such as customs, income tax and drugs, etc.

"This is for the first time that the government has introduced reforms in the public interest. The sole purpose of the reforms is to provide a mechanism of speedy disposal of cases which will put an end to the tiresome process through which the public and investors had to undergo," said the minister.

He said the reforms would also satisfy WTO and many other international agreements and treaties, besides encouraging and attracting local and foreign investment by providing them an expeditious forum.

This was for the first time that the bar associations and private sector were asked to give recommendations through the Chief Justice of Pakistan for the appointment of judges in the federal courts.