LAHORE: The time is gone when only sons and relatives of judges were appointed to the superior judiciary, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir said on Tuesday.
She made these remarks while addressing a ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal in connection with Iqbal Day. “From now on, family members or relatives of the members of the judicial commission will not be allowed to be inducted as judges and bar associations would monitor the process diligently so that all senior lawyers get a fair chance for being appointed judges in the high courts,” Asma said. Paying tribute to Allama Iqbal on his 133rd birth anniversary, the renowned human rights activist said that Iqbal was a great poet and philosopher who understood human suffering, poverty and slavery of mankind and in his poetry he gave a message of freedom from all kinds of subjugation and oppression.
She told the audience that it was unfortunate that people were dying of hunger, poverty and injustice in Pakistan due to long tenures of military regimes in the country. “It is good that Iqbal got freedom from the Pakistan ideology school of thought which claimed all rights over Iqbal under the patronage of a media group, which held Iqbal ‘hostage’ in the name of ideology of Pakistan,” she said. The SCBA president said that people belonging to different schools of thought had gathered under one roof to pay tribute to Iqbal. “Now all people of the country, including leftists and rightists can take benefit from the teachings of Iqbal,” she said while referring to a presence of large number of woman and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers in the auditorium. Asma said that the country had witnessed periods of democracy and dictatorship and now we have finally realised that democracy is the most suitable political system for Pakistan. The renowned human rights activists told the audience that it was time to decide whether we wanted the ideology of Pakistan or Islam, Khilafat or liberal democracy. The SCBA president said that whether anybody liked it or not, she would continue to raise her voice for promoting liberal democracy, rights of women and oppressed segments of society. Asma said that people of different persuasion be allowed to co-exist in harmony and play their role in the national development. She termed a poor economy, rising poverty and democracy as the challenges being faced by Pakistan right now. The renowned human rights activist said that true dispensation of justice was only possible when people start getting justice and this goal was still far way. She told the audience that it was parliament’s right to make laws and the judiciary reserved the right of judicial review but courts could not strike down any legislation straight away, as it would be an attack on parliament’s supremacy.
On the tussle between the executive and judiciary, the SCBA president said that all institutions should work within their constitutional limits to keep running the system. She said that norms and traditions be developed for the smooth functioning of democracy and judiciary. Asma said that the legal fraternity and people had the right to criticise the Supreme Court’s judgments, as it was also necessary to tell the judiciary when and where it was wrong. The renowned human rights activists said that political parties also need reforms for strengthening democracy in the country.
