Meetings between Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and a delegation headed by Martin Raiser, Regional Vice President of the World Bank for South Asia, resulted in the agreement.

Praiseing the World Bank’s role in Pakistan’s growth, Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed Martin Raiser.

After the floods in Pakistan in 2022, the prime minister expressed gratitude for the Bank’s cooperation in constructing climate-resilient infrastructure. He gave the delegation an overview of the government’s reform programme, which included ending child stunting, improving per acre production in agriculture, reforming the power sector, and digitising the entire tax system.

Martin Raiser expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s determined reform programme and stated that the World Bank was prepared to work with the nation to improve its economy in order to achieve sustainable development.

A new Country cooperation Framework with an annual review mechanism to evaluate progress and guarantee results was reached was agreed upon by both parties to initiate a long-term, targeted cooperation.

In order to accommodate future course corrections, the technique will be flexible. On a chosen list of crucial development goals for Pakistan, the new alliance aims to produce transformative effects over a ten-year period.

Structural economic reforms, including tax policy changes and domestic resource mobilisation, mainly through digitalization, were among the first set of goals that were discussed during the summit.

It was also explored how to improve basic learning and reduce child stunting through human capital development.

Reforms pertaining to the energy sector, such as broadening the role of the private sector in transmission and distribution, and shifting to renewable energy sources to make energy more affordable, environmentally friendly, and financially viable, were also deliberated.

Both sides stressed the need for cooperation in climate adaptation in order to effectively handle the increasing scarcity of water and shocks due to climate change.

Pakistan can gain from the Bank’s experience in leveraging digital transformation, building institutional capacity, mobilising global expertise and best practices, and engaging the private sector through the International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the World Bank’s private sector arm to enhance economic opportunities, including in the agriculture sector.

The federal and provincial governments, as well as academic institutions, legislators, members of civil society, development partners, and the commercial sector, will all be consulted throughout the establishment of the new Country Partnership Framework, the parties agreed.

In order to discuss partnership priorities that are appropriately aligned with the Government of Pakistan’s strategy and top development priorities, the World Bank will work with relevant stakeholders.

Najy Benhassine, the country representative of the World Bank, and Dr. Kazim Niaz, the secretary of the Economic Affairs division, signed a joint communique in this regard, which the prime minister saw.

Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa made up the three-person panel that heard the matter at the highest court.

The supreme court was given assurances by the legal authorities of the federal and all four province governments that it would carry out the 2023 ruling that forbade private publicity on development projects.

Both the federal and provincial governments were summoned to provide testimonies under oath by the highest court.

All provinces in Pakistan, according to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), have come together to support personal exposure.

Regarding Sindh’s law enforcement figure, the court asked. As Sindh’s attorney stated to the court, “There are 80 law officers in Sindh.” “An 80-strong law enforcement battalion is present in Sindh, but Islamabad has never had a permanent law enforcement officer,” stated the CJP.

18 law officers serve in Balochistan, 40 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 86 in Punjab, according to information provided to the court by provincial law officers.

The top justice remarked, “The most populous province, Punjab, has 86 law enforcement officers, while Sindh has 80.”

The prosecutor for the Punjab government informed the judge that the province will reduce its bar of 86 lawyers to 66.

“40 million rupees are paid to law officers of Sindh from the pockets of the people of the province because each law officer in the province receives a salary of Rs. five lac every month,” the CJP stated.

Sindh’s law enforcement officials don’t provide the court with superior support. Despite having poor sound quality, they appear before the court via video link,” the chief judge stated.

He asked, “What is the crime of the poor people? We don’t want to get involved in government matters.”

Strong and vibrant democracy is what we want to see, according to CJP.

“What makes getting personal publicity more important than projects that serve the public interest?” he questioned. In regards to personal publicity, even ardent political rivals have reached a consensus, according to CJP.

For two weeks, the bench postponed the case’s continued hearing.

Details indicate that the PECA Act 2024 has authorised the creation of the Digital Rights Protection Agency (DRPA).

Following Cabinet approval, the revised PECA Bill will be introduced in Parliament.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications has reportedly considering creating a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) under PECA 2016 in order to address dynamic digital vulnerabilities, according to sources citing the document approved by the Law Reforms Committee of the Cabinet.

According to the bill, the Digital Rights Protection Agency’s implementation would be handled by the Ministry of IT.

The authorities will look into legal infractions on social media and prosecute anyone who break the recently passed PECA law.

Those implicated in digital rights violations may be called in and questioned by the Digital Rights Authority.

It is important to note that the National Cyber Crime Investigation Authority was established by an SRO issued by the Ministry of IT last week.

The announcement states that the agency will be led by a 21-grade or higher rank officer who will not be older than 63 in the role of Director General.

There will be more directors, additional director generals, and additional directors at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.

Assistant Directors and other required positions will also be formed in accordance with the agency’s makeup. The federal government will designate the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s Director General for a two-year term.