Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday said that present day Pakistan had successfully transitioned itself to rule of law through complete implementation of constitutionalism in the country.
“Our law enforcement agencies are striving hard to check menace and the court system in the country including the anti-terrorism courts are geared to handle their cases expeditiously and dispense justice in a forthright and transparent manner,” he said while addressing an Indian lawyers’ delegation. He said that he did not see any reason why Pakistan should not regain its position as a civilised and progressive country which was at peace with itself and with countries in the region and beyond.
The CJ said it was a proven fact of history and a unanimous opinion of historians and scholars of law and politics, that only those societies thrived and prospered where the twin principles of “rule of law” and “supremacy of constitution” were practiced. “However, in societies which suffer from weak rule of law and where constitution is held in abeyance frequently, the writ of state gradually loosens and society starts unravelling,” he said.
The CJ opined that the institutions of judiciary in Pakistan and India had a common cultural, social and legal background as they drew inspiration from the same source of jurisprudence and followed the same pluralistic and all-encompassing representative democracy based on the twin principles of rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.
Today’s Pakistan successfully shifted to rule of law: CJP
