Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that the Government has not been as forthcoming as it should have in strengthening the capacities of the Court system in the country adding that that sacrifices of lawyers will always be remembered.
Addressing members of Sindh and other Bar Councils at Supreme Court Karachi Registry‚ on Saturday‚ he said that lawyers should avoid strikes to provide speedy justice to the people.
The Chief Justice said we are committed to provide justice to the people but shortage of judges is the main hurdle in the provision of speedy justice.
He noted “we have achieved unprecedented success of not only restoring the dejure judiciary to its rightful place but we have also strongly established the principles of rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution in the country. However, these successes of the lawyers’ community have ignited the passion for further reform in the country. The people of Pakistan now expect better governance and equal opportunity for their individual and collective prosperity.
He went on to say with the introduction of the National Judicial Policy the court system is under stress. The National Judicial Policy Making Committee has been responding to the complaints and suggestions received from the lawyers’ bodies to further improve the National Judicial Policy, he added.
I expect that the lawyers’ community being the most vocal and organized professional body in the country would articulate the weaknesses in the National Judicial Policy on an institutional level, he hoped.
Unfortunately, the Government has not been as forthcoming as it should have in strengthening the capacities of the Court system in the country. The State is obliged to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice to the people of Pakistan not as a favor but as a fundamental right. However, this is not being adhered to as is the essence of the Constitution., he noted
He observed the post-March 2009 Pakistan is a new country where the people have tasted the flavor of rule of law and supremacy of the Constitution. Now these twin principles are considered as the fountain from where flows the legitimacy of all actions done in the country. In this period, many landmark judgments have been rendered by the apex Court of the country which all have one common denominator i.e. “everybody is equal before the law”.
He held that the time to compromise justice on the pretext of State necessity has long gone past. Now the only benchmark left is the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 and other laws which are to provide the foundation for administration of justice in the country.
Who can deny the fact that holding of free and fair elections on completely up-dated and error-free electoral rolls is the only way forwarded for the whole nation. The Court has also observed that holding of local bodies election in the country including the cantonment areas is a constitutional obligation which should be complied with immediately, he remarked.
