Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul on Wednesday said the ordinance for establishing a Supreme Court (SC) Secretariat will be placed before the Advisory Council within the next few weeks.
"The establishment of a SC Secretariat was one of the major recommendations of the Judiciary Reform Commission, and also part of the Chief Justice's reform vision. We have progressed a lot in this regard, though some differences of opinion remain. We need further discussion, but I believe we will be able to establish a separate secretariat within the tenure of this interim government," he told reporters at the secretariat in the afternoon.
Dr Asif Nazrul said that during previous governments, it was often seen that ruling party members used to intimidate members of other political parties.
"Now, people can freely criticise members of the Advisory Council from different political parties and quarters. This is a healthy sign of democratic transition. But I would also say to political parties - you must have the tolerance to hear similar criticism directed at you," he added.
Replying to a question on whether all political parties will sign the July Charter, the adviser said he believes they will. "Every political party has participated in the discussion process sincerely. I believe they will sign the charter as a continuation of that sincerity. The content is not the issue - the main debate is over its implementation process, which is not part of the signing," he continued.
Regarding the election, Dr Nazrul reaffirmed, "We are firmly committed to holding the national election in the first half of February. There is no second thought or debate about it within our government."
