A Press communiqué said similar laws will be placed before the provincial legislatures.

The following is the communiqué: “The first meeting of the new Council of Ministers took place at the President’s House. The President addressed his Ministers at length and a brief summary of his remarks will be issued separately. The question of implementing principle 8 of the principles of law-making embodied in the Constitution was also discussed.

“According to Clause (C) of that principle, a law authorising the arrest or detention of enemy aliens, or providing for preventive detention, has to provide that the case of the detenus shall be placed, within three months, before a Board consisting of, where the law is a Central Law, a Judge of the Supreme Court who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of that court, and another senior officer in the service of Pakistan who shall be nominated by the President.

“Where the law is a provincial law, the Board is to consist of a Judge of the High Court of the province concerned, who shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of that court, and another senior officer in the service of Pakistan who shall be nominated by the Governor of that province.

“The Constitution requires that this principle should be reflected in the laws providing for preventive detention. This matter had been considered some time ago and it had been decided that the necessary provision of law should be made as soon as the National Assembly meets.”—Agencies