Judiciary not to allow derailment of democracy: CJP

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar Saturday said judiciary would not allow derailment of democracy in the country.

Addressing a seminar organised by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) here, he said the incumbent judiciary was independent and it was not influenced by criticism.

The judiciary exercised restraint and held contempt proceedings rarely, he added.

He applauded lawyers for their role in provision of justice and said the bar and the bench were two parts of a body. "If one of them becomes weak, then the body will become paralysed," he added.

He said sometime minor misunderstandings took place between the bar and the bench.

However, it was not aimed at ridiculing each other as how one could attempt to make the institution weak, which was a source of earning for him, he added.

The CJP said as the state was becoming more and more powerful, its intervention in fundamental rights cases was also increasing.

The institution, comprising the bar and the bench, was playing its role in provision of justice to the masses, he added.

He asked the judges to cooperate for dispensation of justice as the nation was paying highly for their perks and privileges, which were far better than those in many other countries.

The judges were not free to decide cases as per their wishes as they were bound to do justice in accordance with the law.

They should not be afraid of challenges and efforts should be made for their resolution, he added.

He said if somebody was not interested in performing his duty, then he should quit and adopt some other profession.

He urged lawyers for giving their best for a year and afterwards they would become addict to the satisfaction derived from their efforts and the subsequent results.

He also called on them to avoid destructive protest activities and urged the lawyer representatives to take less cases.

Supreme Court Judge Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Lahore High Court-designate Chief Justice, Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali, Justice Muhammad Anwaarul Haq, Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon, Lahore High Court Bar President Zulfiqar Chaudhry and others also spoke on the occasion, while a large number of lawyers were present.