ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has emphasized the importance of the trichotomy of power, a principle enshrined in the Constitution, which ensures that no institution, including the judiciary, has the authority to dictate others.
During a session in the National Assembly, he expressed the government’s commitment to upholding the judiciary’s respect and honor while strengthening the judicial system. However, he cautioned against individuals occupying positions of justice if they are directly or indirectly involved in a matter or accused of wrongdoing.
Minister Khawaja Asif highlighted the government’s formation of an inquiry commission to investigate leaked audio recordings involving various individuals, including the mother-in-law of Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and the son of a former chief justice. He explained that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial was not included in the commission due to the conflict of interest arising from the investigation of his mother-in-law’s audio leaks.
The commission consisted of the senior Puisne judge of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices of the High Courts of Balochistan and Islamabad. This composition aimed to ensure impartiality and transparency in the investigation process.
In other matters, the National Assembly passed the Pakistan General Cosmetics Bill, 2023. The bill, presented by James Iqbal, aimed to regulate the quality, standard, labeling, packaging, manufacturing, storage, distribution, and sales of general cosmetics.
Additionally, the National Institute of Technology Bill, 2023 was presented in the house and referred to the relevant standing committee for further deliberations.
The House also adopted an amendment to Rule 49 of the Rules of Procedure of Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The amendment introduced a fifteen-minute break in the house following the prayer call.
In response to a calling attention notice, Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Shahida Akhtar Ali informed the house that the Havelian-Thakot, Hakla-D.I. Khan, and Multan-Sukkur motorway projects had been completed and were now operational. She also mentioned that work on other road infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was in progress.
Furthermore, the House passed “The Export Processing Zones Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023.”
The National Assembly will reconvene tomorrow at 1 pm for its next session.
