ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Wednesday said his government did not want confrontation with the judiciary or any other institution.

Chairing a meeting of the federal cabinet, Abbasi said the government wanted to strengthen all institutions and hoped they would work within the ambit of the constitution.

A participant of the meeting shared with The Nation that Abbasi told the ministers his meeting with Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar the other day had nothing to do with politics.

“The meeting was aimed at discussing some issues that have already been shared with the media. The opposition may extract from the meeting whatever they want,” the cabinet member quoted the PM as saying.

Earlier, PM Abbasi met Chief Justice Saqib Nisar at his chamber in the Supreme Court for two hours. The one-on-one meeting was arranged on the PM’s request made through Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

During the meeting, PM Abbasi assured the CJP that he would take all steps to materialise the vision of the top judge with respect to provision of free education, health facilities and clean drinking water to the people.

The CJP was given the assurance that the government will support his efforts for improvement in the state of public hospitals and revamping of medical education, especially at private medical colleges.

However, political commentators saw this meeting as an effort to improve ties between the executive and the judiciary. The government representatives denied this notion.

Supreme leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif, and his family members are already facing corruption references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau.

The opposition parties allege that Sharif is trying to escape the country through a national reconciliation ordinance-style deal. Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had introduced the NRO to quash political cases against Sharif and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Later, the NRO was nullified by the Supreme Court.

An official statement said the federal cabinet approved signing of a treaty on transfer of sentenced persons between Pakistan and China. Approval for signing of the agreement between Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on transfer of convicted Individuals was also granted. The cabinet approved a government-to-government agreement for the development of Somali National Identification System through the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018, was approved by the cabinet. It also approved appointment of Ghulam Taqi Sajid as chairman, Islamabad Drug Court.

Appointment of District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Akram was also approved as a judge of Special Court (Control of Narcotic Substances), Rawalpindi.

The cabinet approved appointment of Fida Muhammed Wazir as managing director, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.

Appointment of Muhammad Naveed as member (finance), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, was approved. It was decided that the newly appointed member (finance) would also work as chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, for three months.

The cabinet also approved a proposal to delete 11 items from the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority while three items would be added to the list.

The cabinet accorded its approval to notify maximum retail prices of 139 new additional pack sizes of already registered drugs which will help reduce the prices of these drugs.

Appointment of Abdul Aleem Memon as director general, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, was also approved.

EXPECTING RAPID PROGRESS: CJP

Online adds: CJP Mian Saqib Nisar remarked on Wednesday that government should do its job and if no positive development is made regarding appointment of heads of institutions, the court will act.

On his meeting with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the CJP said “Now progress will be made on the matters on fast track basis and there will be no interruptions in approval of summaries.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by CJP Mian Saqib Nisar took up for hearing a case regarding facilities in federal hospitals.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) told the court that work was underway on the directives of the court speedily and the issues will be resolved soon. Summary on appointment of PIMS and other hospitals’ heads will be forwarded to the cabinet again. The cabinet will accord approval to it.

About his meeting with Prime Minister Abbasi, the CJP remarked that he was expecting a headway will be made on the issues and there will be no hurdles in approval of the summaries now.

On petitioner’s complaint about induction of doctors on administrative posts, the CJP remarked, “I think there should be doctors to settle administrative issues of hospitals. Secretary should be a doctor as well.  Let the government do its job and then we will see whether good people have been appointed or otherwise.”

Addressing secretary CADD, the CJP remarked, “There should be positive headway on the matter. If no headway is made then we will appoint good people as heads. Later the government will make regular appointments.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case for one week.