Judiciary independent at every level: CJP

Says judicial, education systems not free of corruption, mismanagement

KARACHI: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamali, said on Saturday that the judiciary was independent at every level in Pakistan, but the judicial and education systems were not free from corruption and mismanagement.

Addressing an orientation programme and the launching of the Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan Research Institute of the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law, Justice Jamali said the judiciary and the education system of the country, like other institutions, were not free of problems. He emphasised the need for good basic education for all citizens, saying that no strong building could be built on weak foundations.

The chief justice stated that many lawyers faced problems in the legal profession due to lack of basic education, but they could improve their efficiency with hard work. He said the legal and judicial system of the country was facing difficulties due to a lack of enforcement of Urdu language under Article 251 of the Constitution.

However, he expressed the hope that the nation would overcome such problems and will be included in such nations that were united and law-abiding.

Pointing out disparity in the education system of the country, Justice Jamali said that one segment of the society could bear the expensive education expenses for their children and they were on their way to progress, but the poor segment of the society could not afford expensive education for better future of their children. He said it was the duty of the government to ensure equal education opportunities for citizens. He urged philanthropists to come forward to overcome such problems and expected that private and public institutes would allocate at least five percent quota for students who were intelligent but were unable to meet their educational expenses.

The chief justice said the judiciary was independent and striving to provide speedy justice to the people despite limited resources. He urged the lawyers to learn the use of advanced and latest technology. He added that the federal and provincial judicial academies were also conducting training courses for lawyers and other officers concerned in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice Sindh High Court Justice Sajjad Ali Shah called upon the students to gain more knowledge about the existing laws and emerging challenges in the legal profession.

He said the students must be aware about regional and international changes globally as well as of creative solutions to legal, commercial and fundamental issues.