GILGIT, Dec 22: The Young Lawyers Forum of Northern Areas on Sunday lauded the appointment of five civil judges to subordinate courts of the areas.

At a news conference, YLF President Asadullah Khan said appointment of the judges would enable the Northern Areas judiciary to provide speedy justice to the people at their doorsteps, which was the priority set forth by President Pervez Musharraf.

He said more steps were required to establish an independent judiciary in the Northern Areas.

He demanded that the areas judiciary be given under the administration of Supreme Judicial Council instead of being run through the Kashmir and Northern Areas affairs division. Only then could it protect the human, legal and constitutional rights of the people, he said.

He called for bringing of the Northern Areas chief court’s status at par with that of the high courts.