The non-functional chief justice of Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has termed the independence of judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of constitution as prerequisites for the development of the society. He also held the absence of independent judiciary responsible for the decline in the foreign investments in the country.
"Investment is not coming in the country because there is not an independent judiciary," he added. Addressing the lawyers at the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) hall on Wednesday, Iftikhar Chaudhry urged the legal fraternity to continue struggle for independence of the judiciary as aggrieved section of the society have pinned their hopes on lawyers and judiciary for justice.
He assured the legal fraternity that he will remain steadfast in the endeavour for restoration of the judiciary, rule of law and supremacy of constitution, saying that people are also supporting the just cause.
He reiterated that the lawyers' struggle and sacrifices are only for the rule of law, supremacy of constitution and independence of judiciary. He asserted that judiciary should be independent. "People think that it is the responsibility of lawyers for making the access to justice easy," he said. Iftikhar Chaudhry said that the effects of the independent judiciary on the society are far-reaching, helping it grow enlightened. He signified the suo motu actions of the apex court taken in different times, saying that it helped provide the aggrieved people justice.
He highlighted the Professor Ghazi's case, who and his wife died of vicious poverty for not getting pension due to the red-tape, saying that on the petition of Ismail Memon, the court took suo motu action and provided relief to the next coming retirees. He called upon the legal fraternity to be steadfast in the just struggle, saying that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah being a lawyer established Pakistan and it is the responsibility of lawyers to salvage it from the fall.
Iftikhar Chaudhry paid tribute to the late Imdad Ali Awan for his contribution to the lawyers' struggle. He also paid homage to lawyers, who sacrificed their lives for the restoration of judiciary since March 9, 2007. Earlier, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Aitzaz Ahsan termed the independence of judiciary significant for the democratisation in the country. He asserted that not a single judge from the group of the deposed judges, including chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will take afresh oath.
He said that the newly elected parliament has to restore the independent judiciary for its own survival. "The parliament will never survive if it did not restore the independent judiciary," he added.
The other speakers were Justice Muhammad Tariq of the Peshawar High Court, Justice Sabihuddin of the Sindh High Court, Anwar Kamal, president, Lahore High Court Bar Association, Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court, Hamid Khan and Rasheed A, Rizvi, president, SHCBA. On the occasion, senior judges Sarmad Jalal Usmani, Ghulam Rabbani, Tariq Pervez, and lawyers leader Munir A. Malik, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Iqbal Haider, Saleem Zia, acting president of PML-N, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, and Nasrullah Shahji of JI were also present.
Lawyers were chanting anti-Musharraf and Asif Ali Zardari and pro-Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and independent judiciary slogans. They also offered fateha for the deceased Imdad Ali Awan.