File photo of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
Pakistan’s prime minister directs officials concerned to expedite implementation of measures to improve governance
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday once again blamed Pakistan’s previous governments for “destroying” the country’s criminal justice system, adding that they had benefited from this “lawlessness.”
Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad to review reforms in the criminal justice system, as well as the implementation of civil procedure code in provinces, the prime minister said this sector is an important arm of governance, and reforms should be pursued on priority basis. The meeting’s participants informed him that the government was ready to implement all reforms that had been recommended by various task forces.
Khan said the incumbent government was ready to provide all required resources to fix criminal justice on priority basis.
Improving governance
In a separate meeting on Pakistan’s Governance Action Matrix, the prime minister stressed expediting the implementation of measures that would improve governance. He said that administrative reforms should be speedily implemented to ensure relief for the masses.
Khan reiterated his view that reforms are not possible unless the government strengthens its systems to ensure punishment for the corrupt, and rewards for the honest and efficient.
During the meeting, the participants were informed about various steps being undertaken to improve governance, including registration and redress of complaints, establishment of one-window operation for citizens, and the facilitation of the public in government departments.
The prime minister was informed that the Punjab government had already started implementing measures to improve governance. He was also informed about the timely resolution of complaints in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, as well as the strict monitoring of prices of commodities.
Green cover
Also on Thursday, the prime minister chaired a weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction, and Development in which he directed all provincial governments to evolve a coordinated strategy to monitor the plantation and protection of the country’s green areas.
Khan termed environmental pollution a “silent killer,” stressing that it adversely affected public health. Emphasizing the importance of environmental protection, he called for taking timely steps to reduce pollution for the benefit of the people.
The prime minister claimed the incumbent government had already implemented various measures for environmental protection, and stressed the importance of land record digitizing to improve planning and curb land grabbers—a cause close to his heart due to issues facing his brother-in-law.
Khan also directed officials concerned to ensure green areas in Islamabad were not damaged by ongoing construction projects.
The meeting was briefed by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam, who detailed the consultation process on piloting building codes with housing schemes, as well as measures being taken to control urban flooding in major cities.