Notification about CDF in due course, says minister

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Monday that the formal notification for the appointment of the Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF) would be issued in due course, assuring that there was "nothing for anyone to worry about".

Speaking to The Express Tribune after attending a photo exhibition organised by the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment, he said the notification process was routine and awaited the return of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. "Once the prime minister arrives, everything should be completed," he said.

Tarar suggested that much of the paperwork might already be completed, noting that the Defence Ministry would move forward once coordination with the Prime Minister's Office was finalised. He stressed there were no administrative hurdles in the process.

Earlier, addressing participants at the exhibition, he said the concept behind the event was meaningful, explaining that artists from across the country were invited to paint on the theme and that creating such imagery also required society to provide appropriate remedies.

He said no nation could progress while keeping half its population confined at home, arguing that efforts to address social issues enabled women to advance rather than hold them back, and urging society to adopt positive behavioural change.

Tarar said attitudes needed to shift, adding that women deserve the same respect shown to mothers and sisters within families. He emphasised the need for laws that uphold social structures and ensure penalties for violations.

He said society must self-reflect and encourage its daughters, recalling Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's words that no nation could progress until men and women "worked together, side by side, with equal opportunity".

The minister noted that more women now pursued education than in previous decades and said their professional abilities must be fully utilised, pointing to the prime minister's formation of task forces aimed at women's empowerment.

He said legal reforms over the past two years were introduced to ensure women received fair access to employment and safer workplaces, adding that such measures strengthened long-term social and economic stability.

On the occasion, awards were presented to the top three artists participating in the exhibition, which was held by FOSPA as part of the 16-day global campaign to eliminate violence against women and promote safer communities.