CM promises measures for lawyers’ welfare

LAHORE:Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi participated as a chief guest in the joint meeting of interprovincial bar council at Punjab Bar Council Friday and made big announcements for the welfare of the lawyer community.Addressing on the occasion, he announced constituting a committee in consultation with the Advocate General with regard to Lawyers Protection Act and deputing a police focal person for the lawyer community.

The CM assured that the notification of the focal person would be issued by tonight. Punjab Information Technology Board would provide complete assistance for the data centre about the lawyer community.

He announced that a building would be constructed on the plot adjacent to the Punjab Bar Council. He announced making operational dispensary of Punjab Bar Council within 10 days.

He stated, ‘We have come for the caretaker setup but our tenure has prolonged a bit. It is our utmost effort to undertake the possible amount of work which we can complete in a short period of time. We are striving to the utmost to provide maximum relief to the masses. We are determined to complete our work.’

The CM stated that the Punjab government is lawyer-friendly. ‘It is my duty to solve due problems of the lawyer community on priority basis.’

Member Pakistan Bar Council Senator Azam Nazir Tarar, Member Pakistan Bar Council Ahsan Bhawan, Advocate General Punjab Khalid Ishaq, Vice-Chairman Punjab Bar Council Basharatullah, Chairman Executive Committee Punjab Bar Council Asif Shahzad, Chairman IPBCR Committee Punjab Bar Council Farhan Shahzad, Member Pakistan Bar Council Tahir Nasrullah and lawyer community leaders from Islamabad, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, KP, Balochistan and Sindh attended the meeting.

Naqvi reviews law, order in Punjab

An important meeting convened on Friday at the Chief Minister's Office, presided over by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, where overall law and order situation in the province was discussed.

The Inspector General of Police delivered a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing operation targeting illegal aliens. Responding to the chief minister's explicit directives, the crackdown on illegally staying foreigners in Punjab has been intensified, leading to the repatriation of 15,533 individuals thus far. The chief minister, adamant about an effective crackdown on those harbouring the illegal foreigners, stressed unequivocally that no exemptions would be granted to facilitators of illegally resident aliens.

Expressing displeasure over the non-arrest of certain miscreants implicated in the May 9 incidents, the chief minister issued a resolute directive to expedite the apprehension of fugitive suspects connected to those events. He underscored the imperative to ensure the safety and security of the province's residents, directing all necessary measures. The meeting witnessed the participation of chief secretary, advocate general, inspector general of police, additional chief secretary, additional IG special branch, secretary public prosecution, secretary law, CCPO, Commissioner Lahore Division, Additional IG CTD, DIG Investigation, and other high-ranking officials. Additionally, Commissioners and RPOs attended the session through a video link.

Inspects construction work

The caretaker chief minister conducted a thorough inspection of the construction work on the side roads surrounding the Bedian Road underpass early in the morning. The commissioner Lahore/ DG LDA and the contractor briefed about the construction activity. He directed the completion of the task within 10 days and emphasised the importance of tree plantation and landscaping along the greenbelts. Mohsin Naqvi pointed out that the initial timeline for completing the underpass was set at six months. However, through relentless and round-the-clock efforts, the project was completed in an impressive 70 days. Notably, this underpass stands as a groundbreaking accomplishment in Pakistan, being the first of its kind completed in such a record time. The chief minister highlighted that the underpass serves as a vital convenience for the daily traffic of 120,000 vehicles.

Provincial Ministers Amir Mir, Bilal Afzal, Ibrahim Murad, IG police, CCPO, DC, DG PHA, chief engineer LDA and others were also present.