TERENCE J SIGAMONY

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Thursday stated that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project of One Belt One Road Initiative and judiciary of Pakistan fully supports it.

The Chief Justice expressed these views during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme Peoples Court of China, in Beijing, says a press statement issued by the Supreme Court’s spokesman here.

The CJP said judiciary of Pakistan is committed to taking measures to ease out commercial disputes for smooth implementation of CPEC projects. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently held a detailed meeting of all federal departments and ministries with special focus on the CPEC. He said the Supreme Court of Pakistan has also issued directions to the lower courts not to issue injunctive orders on CPEC projects unless the other parties have been heard.

The CJP also briefed Zhou Qiang about the recently concluded Islamabad Judicial Conference.

Mian Saqib Nisar is on an official visit to China for the 13th meeting of the Presidents and Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

The Chief Justice said Pak-China ties are supported by people of both countries. He apprised Qiang of the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the judicial institutions of the two countries last year, during a previous visit to China by the CJP.

The CJP stated that the judicial cooperation between the two countries has started gaining momentum and there is huge potential for bilateral exchanges in the fields of arbitration, judicial training, automation of judicial systems and use of technology.

Zhou Qiang appreciated the initiatives taken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and maintained that Pak-China ties enjoy the full confidence of the leadership of the two countries.

The CJP, who was accompanied by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Umar Ata Bandial, also apprised Zhou Qiang of the recently concluded Judicial Conference, and invited him to visit Pakistan to attend the upcoming judicial conference on arbitration.

Zhou Qiang was accompanied by Pei Xianding, head of the SPC Criminal Tribunal, and Yang Qingming, President of the Beijing High Peoples Court.