No stay on CPEC-related projects, CJP orders Pakistani courts

ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has directed all the civil courts that no ex-party stay orders are passed in respect of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related projects.

The decision was made during special meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) on Saturday.

The CJP chaired the meeting in his capacity as the NJPMC chairman for consideration of Dispute Resolution Mechanism for the CPEC Projects. The meeting was attended by the members of the NJPMC, including judges of the Supreme Court, chief justices of high courts and the Federal Shariat Court.



According to a press release, the CJP informed the meeting that during his visit to China in 2017, the chief justice of the Supreme Court of China showed his concern over dispute resolution mechanisms to deal with likely disputes arising out of CPEC projects and “desired that some expeditious dispute resolution mechanism may be framed.”

The CJP told the NJPMC meeting that dispute resolution under the general law in Pakistan often took long time and the procedural and substantive laws required upgrading to this effect.

After hearing the viewpoint of senior judges and some top bureaucrats who attended the meeting on special invitation, Justice Nisar directed the chief justices to advise civil courts that no ex-party stay orders are passed in respect of CPEC related projects. The meeting of NJPMC was held after a gap of more than two years while it is required to be held four times a year.