Anarchy if media not free: LHCBA

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Bar Association President Pir Masood Chishti has said lawyers believe not only in the rule of law and provision of justice but also in the media freedom.
He said this while visiting the daily Jang office on Monday, accompanied by LHCBA Vice President Irfan Arif Sheikh. He said the country would face anarchy if there was no media freedom as it placed a check on all institutions. He said the trend of observing strikes in courts had been ended in view of people’s problems. He said the lawyers were part of the judicial system which aimed at redressing people’s grievances. He said no society could develop in the absence of the rule of law, adding that the societies, which did not provide justice to people, were ruined.
Replying to a query, he said the lawyers stance on the 21st Amendment was clear. Those who believed in the supremacy of justice could not support this amendment. He said the lawyers would continue to stage protest against the amendment every Thursday. Vowing to help his community, he said work on establishing a housing society for lawyers would start soon. He said the LHC chief justice had assured a solution to parking problems being faced by LHC lawyers.
Responding to another question, he said the LHCBA honoured the bar and would maintain its honourable status. If there was some problem between the judiciary and the administration, it would be solved through dialogue, he said, adding that the judiciary as a whole should stand for justice. He said that, in the past, the provision of justice seemed to be revolving around one personality that caused many troubles and also damaged the image of the judiciary. He said nobody heeded the problems faced by the subordinate judiciary - the first platform for availability of justice.
Later, Sheikh said it was unfortunate that court verdicts did not come up to the standard of justice these days. He said none else but the judiciary could protect the rights of people through merited verdicts.
The LHCBA office-bearers also visited various sections of the daily Jang office and appreciated the role played by the newspaper and the Geo TV in strengthening the rule of law and social justice in the country. They also vowed to stand by journalists in their struggle for the cause of media freedom.