In an apparent bid to mollify the tension between the executive and the judiciary, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Sunday said that he not only firmly believes in the independence of judiciary but also is in favour of an independent judicial system. But he hastened to add that the Objective Resolution – a part of the constitution – clearly states that state authority should be exercised by the chosen representatives of the people.
The prime minister said that the government believed in the supremacy of law and governing the country according to the dictates of the constitution wherein a clear role had been assigned to the legislature, executive and judiciary.
The judiciary is going to take up important and controversial cases against the government this week including the Contempt of Court Act 2012 case and contempt of court case against Rehman Malik (today), contempt of court case against former law minister Babar Awan tomorrow, and the NRO decision implementation case on July 25 (Wednesday). The prime minister had a meeting with Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farook H Naik who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House and discussed legal issues and pending court cases with the premier. The law minister apprised the prime minister about the initiatives taken to introduce local government system in FATA with a view to ensure people’s effective representation in the planning and execution of local development projects including the reconciliation mechanism to settle local issues. It would also cultivate local leadership, so important for the development of democratic culture and empowering people at the grass-roots, the minister said.
The minister said that progress on the anti-terrorism law was satisfactory and claimed that it would ensure conviction of terrorists, which had been embarrassingly low due to defects in the existing law which the terrorist took full advantage of. The evidence presented in the court by prosecutors could not withstand the defense on legal and technical grounds, and resultantly hardcore terrorists got scot-free, he said. The minister said that the law to control the theft of electricity, gas and other services was being undertaken on fast track basis. He said the instructions had been given to vigorously pursue the cases and get the court stays vacated at the earliest as these had stuck WAPDA Rs 1.3 billion. The law minister said that the government intended to bring amendment in the existing law to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to the people, especially to those who were poor and involved in minor offences.
Courts should be free but authority lies with people’s reps: Pervaiz Ashraf
