Fed cabinet okays fresh census until Dec 2022, criminal reforms policy

ISLAMABAD: Federal cabinet on Tuesday approved funds for a fresh census in the country to be completed by December 2022 besides also giving a nod to the criminal reforms policy, making it mandatory for the judiciary to decide criminal cases within nine months, ARY NEWS reported.

Sharing the decisions taken by the cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan in a presser, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the cabinet has approved Rs5 billion for the fresh census, which will be completed by December 2022.

“The election commission will begin the delimitation process from January 2023 as new elections will be held under fresh delimitations,” he said.

Sharing details of the criminal policy approved by the PM Imran Khan-led cabinet meeting, the information minister said under the policy, it is mandatory to decide criminal cases within nine months.

“In case of failure to decide a case in nine months, the concerned judge will have to clarify his position to chief justice while action will be taken against those lingering the case beyond the deadline,” he said.

Read More: PBS STARTS PREPARATION FOR FIRST-EVER DIGITAL CENSUS

Fawad Chaudhry further shared that a plea bargain concept is being introduced in the criminal law which will lead to many cases to be referred to under this facility. “The SHO should be at least BA pass,” he said while sharing a fresh condition introduced in the new policy.

Speaking on Transparency International report showing a rise in corruption in Pakistan, he said that the cabinet discussed the matter and it emerged that only out of eight research companies, one of them has lowered Pakistan’s ranking.

Only Economist has given fewer points to the country and you could go and check who owns the company, he said.