‘KP Cabinet approves Juvenile courts for effective juvenile justice system’

Wadood Jan

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet Thursday approved setting up of Juvenile Courts to further improve juvenile justice system in the province.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and expressed deep concern over increasing child molestation cases in the province and said that such needed to be addressed speedily.

Addressing a press conference here after the cabinet meeting KP Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai and provincial spokesman Ajmal Wazir said that constitution of Juvenile courts were presented in the cabinet under Juvenile Action 2018.

Under the act, the present judges will be appointed as Juvenile judges while in future separate judges will be appointed for the court in each district, the Minister for Information informed and said work on separate jails for juvenile is underway in the province.

Meanwhile the cabinet also approved KP Special Police Officer (Regularization of Police) bill 2019 under which the contract and fixed pay police officers would be given extension in the contract.

The Chief Minister directed police department to prepare report on regularization of services of contract or fixed pay police officers and submit to cabinet.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approved supplementary grant of Rs 20 million for construction of Chitral Chamber of Commerce keeping in view the potential in mineral, industrial, agricultural, tourism and hydel power generation sectors.

The cabinet expressed resolve to exploit these sectors while utilizing all available resources to bring the people of Chitral into mainstream, the minister said.

It approved release of Rs 472 million for payment of pensions to retired judges of 2019-20 and 33 percent selection grade for grade-17 officers of Agriculture department as per the directives of Peshawar High Court. The cabinet approved 90-day delay in implementation of amendment in Civil Procedure Code against which the bar councils across KP were on strike.

Shaukat said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet approved establishment of 7-member Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority under Mineral Sector Governance Act 2017.

It also approved names of chairman and members of board of management in Prosthetic an Orthotic department.

The annual report of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority for year 2018-19 was presented in the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet approved regularization of services of disaster management authority for erstwhile FATA into Provincial Disaster Management Authority. On the occasion the CM directed establishment department to submit a comprehensive report in cabinet about regularization of services of all erstwhile FATA employees.

The cabinet approved KP Control of Narcotics Substance Act 2019 under which strict punishments have been recommended to curb drugs especially ICE.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet approved foreign visit for assembly members for their capacity building, provision of 22 vehicles to senior civil judges and KP Water Bill 2020.