Observer Report
Islamabad
Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday emphasized upon the need of continuing with the process of institutional reforms and ensuring financial discipline so as to consolidate the process of stabilizing economy while simultaneously providing possible relief to the people.
He was chairing a meeting here to review the state of country’s economy which was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Adviser Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Adviser on Commerce Abdur Razzaq Dawood, Adviser on Institutional Reform Dr Ishrat Hussain and senior officials. Minister for Industries and Production Muhammad Hammad Azhar also attended the meeting through video link.
During the meeting preliminary discussion on the upcoming budget also took place with special focus on the need to deal with the emergent situation keeping in view government’s core priorities and moving the wheels of economy.
Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh presented an overview of the economy and highlighted stabilization and improvement witnessed during first nine months of the current financial year in macroeconomic indicators. He said that during this period, significant improvement was made in reducing trade and fiscal deficit, current account deficit, increasing foreign direct investments, enhanced revenue collection, improved debt management and ensuring financial discipline.
He also gave a detailed briefing on the impact of coronavirus pandemic and the efforts made by the government to provide relief to the people as well as industry and businesses including unprecedented incentive package offered to the construction sector. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday formed a committee to study and investigate the plight of women in prisons, says a statement on Twitter, the PM Office said. The committee has been constituted taking into account the plight of the women prisoners, whether convicted or awaiting trial, in overall context of gender biasness prevalent in the society at large and issues associated therewith.”
The step was taken to put in place institutional arrangements in order to address the issue in a comprehensive manner, it added.The committee comprises Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari as its chairperson and the ministry’s secretary as secretary, while interior secretary, home secretaries and the inspectors-general of prisons of the four provinces and Gilgit-Baltistan, Justice Project Pakistan founder and executive director Sarah Belal and lawyer Haya Zahid were included as its members. The committee would “assess whether Prison Rules, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 and international best practices are being adhered to with respect to women prisoners, especially their protection, rights, health, security, and wellbeing”.
While addressing the physical, psychological, emotional, and sociological needs, the committee would ensure the availability of gender-specific services for women prisoners. It would review prison rules and other relevant laws to suggest gender-specific changes for improvements for women inmates.
The committee would also “review the overall governance, legal aid, and management systems/processes in prison administration, especially with regard to women prisoners and to suggest improvements”. It would review individual cases of human rights violations and victimisation of women inmates and suggest measures for institutional accountability.
