BAR HAS TO COME AT THE BACK OF BENCH

CHIEF Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has reminded the Bar of its responsibility towards promoting rule of law and dispensation of justice to the people. Legal luminaries at a meeting in Lahore also discussed the issue of dispensation of justice as a society cannot survive and prosper without justice.


The Lahore meeting of top lawyers was very timely and we hope that in the time to come they would play their role as per the desire of the CJP. The legal fraternity has always been in the forefront for rule of law and played an important role for the restoration of the independent superior judiciary through countrywide movement. They suffered a lot but never gave in. In our view certain circles are involved in the campaign to make the vital organ of the State controvercial and demands are being made that it should remain within its limits, which amounts to pressurising the judiciary. In this scenario the Bar will have to stay at the back of the Bench and extend the much needed support. The Chief Justice of Pakistan while addressing a delegation of Lawyers at the Supreme Court building rightly pointed out that a society cannot survive without justice as the deciding factor between a civilized and brutal society is rule of law and delay in justice leads to despondency and militancy. It was also encouraging that the CJP reiterated that there would be no place for corruption, as a civilized society among the comity of nations abhors such things. Now that the Supreme Court ruling is going to be implemented in cases relating to corrupt practices one expects that the lawyers community would share the responsibility for a corruption free society as support of the lawyers and the public would be morale boosting for the judiciary. We also expect that the Prime Minister who has repeatedly stated that the Government would respect the verdict of the Supreme Court on NRO and other related cases would ensure that all organs of the State extend full cooperation to the Apex Court. There should be no attempt on the part of any one to resort to delaying tactics in the implementation of the verdicts of the judiciary so that it is not forced to call the Army for help to get its verdicts implemented.