20000131

Appropriate steps vital

to fill in vacancies in

superior court: CJ

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, has emphasised for appropriate steps to be taken for filling the existing vacancies in the superior courts.

The Chief Justice said this while presiding over a meeting of the Chief Justices' Committee in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Sunday.

He called for "Appropriate steps to be taken for filling the existing vacancies in the superior courts, strictly on merit and in keeping with the judgements of the Supreme Court in Al-Jehad Trust Case (popularly known as judges Case) (PLD 1997 SC 324) and Al-Jehad Trust v. Federation case PLD 1997 SC 84."

The meeting was participated by Mr Justice Fazal Ilahi Khan, Chief Justice, Federal Shariat Court; Mr Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court; Mr Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Chief Justice, high Court of Sindh; Mr Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Chief Justice, High Court of Balochistan, and Mr Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal, Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court.

The meeting took stock of issues concerning administration of justice, inter alia, speedy disposal of cases at all levels of judicial hierarchy to ameliorate the suffering of the litigant public.

The committee discussed the issue of huge backlog of cases in courts, in particular, the subordinate courts and agreed upon appropriate remedial measures for quick disposal.

The respective Chief Justices of High Courts would ensure proper discipline and efficient performance of judges in the subordinate courts, objectively, fairly, impartially, in consonance with the dignity of the courts and rule of law.

The committee emphasised upon the need for evolving an appropriate strategy to determine priorities in a coherent way, to sustain the rule of law, by preventing crime and terrorism, by detecting culprits by the law enforcement agencies, by conducting investigations justly, fairly, expeditiously and in accordance with the law, by prosecuting the culprits before competent courts and convicting the guilty and awarding them suitable sentences and acquitting the innocents.

"For this purpose trials must be conducted objectively, impartially, fairly, in consonance with the dignity and independence of the judiciary.'

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks for the chair.ÑAPP