Former Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr Babar Awan, on a special invitation by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday briefed the Cabinet about the constitutional and political situation in the country. The briefing continued for more than three hours which was followed by questions from the Cabinet members.
Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, who distributed as well as read out the written statement during a news conference after the Cabinet meeting, stated that Babar Awan explained the details of the judgements of the Supreme Court delivered regarding the privatisation, power projects, sugar price hike, NICL, NRO, NAB and appointment of ad hoc judges, removal of the PCO judges. According to the statement, Dr Babar Awan said the present government, for the first time in the history, has implemented 100 percent judgements of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
He briefed the Cabinet about the powers and responsibilities of different institutions of the State and also about the trichotomy of powers as given in the Constitution. He apprised the Cabinet of grievances sent, in writing, by the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah on the transfer of an officer and said that government of Pakistan promulgated Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order, 2009 on September 9, 2009 whereby people of Gilgit-Baltistan got identity and were granted basic right of self-governance after lapse of 62 years.
Since there was an acute shortage of appropriate human resource at the disposal of nascent Gilgit-Baltistan government, a transition plan was also approved by the federal government to make smooth transition from the old to the new system of governance. To meet this urgent requirement of officers, a vacancy sharing formula was reached between federal government and government of Gilgit-Baltistan whereby it was decided that a committee comprising Secretary Establishment, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and Chief Secretary GB will finalise the posting order of police and All Pakistan Unified Grade (APUG) in future. It is clearly laid down that the posting of Chief Secretary and IGP will be made by the federal government in consultation with the Chief Minister and governor of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Dr Babar Awan told the Cabinet that the government will uphold the rule of law and separation of powers of executive from the judiciary and will ensure that the State institutions must act in accordance with the Constitutional laws and within the given framework. He also gave the details and stated that this government has never interfered in the matters of the judicial and essential services postings, transfers and appointments.
He also said that the government can neither appoint nor dismiss a judge of a constitutional court through a notification except the mechanism given in various Articles of the Constitution. The Prime Minister and the members of the Cabinet appreciated in-depth briefing and expressed resolve to uphold the dignity of all institutions of state and to protect the rule of law and authority of the Federation.