ISLAMABAD Nov 25: Information secretary of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Siddiqul Farooq has urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take practical steps to materialise his words on accountability of judiciary and its supremacy and removal of all obstacles in quick dispensation of justice to the people.

In a letter addressed to the CJ, the PML (N) leader said that his sublime remarks that ‘judiciary is accountable to nation’ while laying foundation stone of Peshawar registry of the Supreme Court deserved to be written in golden letters.

He, however, said that the remarks of the CJ had encouraged him to put some facts concerning the judiciary before him and seek necessary relief.

PML(N) information secretary said that Justice Bashir Jehangiri of the Supreme Court had recently admitted it on record that corruption was also infesting the superior judiciary, admitting that people have to grease the palms of the court staff to get early dates and that the judiciary was helpless to eliminate it.

“If the honourable judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan were so helpless to eliminate corruption from within the august institution then who can deliver in this regard,” Siddiqul Farooq questioned.

He said that certain superior courts reserved the decisions for months and, therefore, delay quick dispensation of relief to the aggrieved, the CJ is urged, therefore, to ensure that courts do not reserve decisions for more than 15 days in future.

Siddique said that the accountability courts were called open courts but these courts seem to be in the control of administration as the common man is refused entry there and the agencies personnel of and on interfere in the working of the courts. He asked the chief justice to take practical steps in this regard as well.

The PML leader stated that according to a verdict of the Supreme Court in the accountability ordinance, after Khalid Maqbool, some senior judge had to be appointed as next chairman of the NAB in consultation with the judiciary. But, he added, the court orders had not been implemented in this regard.

He urged the chief justice to ensure implementation of the said court verdict.

A former working journalist turned politician Siddiqul Farooq said that the verdicts of the superior courts’ appeals against the decisions of some accountability courts lay are the fact that documented proof and witnesses favouring the accused were ignored.

Furthermore, appeals against the decision of an accountability court was to be decided within thirty days but appeals against the decisions for some accountability courts of the Punjab were pending with the Lahore High Court for more than 400 days.

This, he added, amounted to delay in quick dispensation of justice.

PML(N) information secretary stated that according to news report 10 seats of judges in Lahore High Court and two in the Supreme Court were vacant which ought to be filled in to avoid delay in deciding the cases.