'Establishment of fast-track courts for overseas Pakistanis in final phase'

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari said on Wednesday that the federal government has entered into final phase for the establishment of fast-track courts to facilitate nationals residing in foreign countries, ARY News reported.

SAPM Zulfiqar Bukhari made the statement while chairing a high-level meeting to discuss strategies for further facilities overseas Pakistanis via Pakistan Citizen Portal. The meeting was attended by inspector generals (IGs) of all provinces, secretary labour and others via video link.

The participants have been briefed by the PCP officials regarding the complaints of nationals in foreign countries. The provincial police chiefs said that many complaints have been registered for pending cases in different courts, however, the police department has no power to intervene into judicial matters.

Bukhari said that the establishment of fast-track courts entered into its final phase as a summary was sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for its approval. He added that the federal government is working on different plans for facilitating overseas nationals who are sending remittances to the country.

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The special assistant said that Punjab Overseas Commission is a successful model and it will be established in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as well.

Earlier in August, for the first time in the history of the country, the federal government had decided to provide digital banking facilities to the overseas Pakistanis.

The digital banking facility under Roshan Digital Account programme will enable overseas Pakistanis to open their accounts in the country and operate it from abroad.

The programme is being finalized by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari and the overseas ministry under which the Pakistanis living abroad could open their bank accounts in the country without showing their presence in the country.

They could invest in the stock exchange and avail from banks’ fixed account policies other than using the accounts for investment in housing projects launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The consultation with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)and other commercial banks on the matter has been finalized and soon the project would be launched.