August 14, 2006	Monday	Rajab 18, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Judges and the military generals are equally responsible for undermining and derailing democracy, said renowned columnist Ayaz Amir while speaking on the role of media in dispensation of justice on the second day of the four-day International Judicial Conference on Justice for All here Saturday.

“This is not an enviable burden on the judiciary to carry,” he observed, adding there is no reason that the judiciary should collaborate with generals in the event of constitutional deviations.

Authoritarian interventions have always put the judiciary at a great test. The judiciary always obliged and validated such interventions on one pretext or the other even coining the concept of ‘doctrine of necessity’, which had become something of a joke.

However in doing so, the judiciary in fact did what the rest of the institutions were doing like the media which also complemented authoritarianism by supporting and embracing the military rule and thus encouraging the judiciary to fall in the line.

Appreciating the role of the media, he said the press in Pakistan had conquered many holy cows but one holy cow was still left to be conquered which was the judiciary.

He also wondered as to how a high government official withdrawing a hefty amount from the state exchequer was allowed private practice or why the superior judiciary was choosy in picking up petitions. “We still have to get over these obstacles,” he said.

PPI adds: Shafqat Mahmood said media was playing active role in highlighting social issues. He added that the Supreme Court took various suo motu actions on various cases highlighted by the media, citing the recent example of Pakistan Steel Mills.

Justice (retd) A.M. Ahmedi of India stressed the need for more relationship between media and judiciary.

Over 600 delegates, including chief justices, judges, jurists and constitutional experts from 40 countries of the world discussed in working sessions international, legal and human rights issues.

The topics including, role of media in dispensation of justice, human trafficking, public interest litigation and the role of judiciary, intellectual property law and globalization, family laws and judicial protection, role of the bar in protection of human rights also came under discussion.