September 01, 2006	Friday	Sha'aban 7, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 31: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry asked the judiciary to augment its capacity and utilise all available resources to its optimal level to protect rights of the weak and down-trodden.

“Family and child issues lie at the core of the social problems of any society and the weaker segments of the society should be protected with care,” a statement issued here quoted CJP as saying.

The CJP was speaking at the 17th World Congress organized by “The International Association Of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates” on the topic “Family and youth issues: Pakistan perspective” at Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Justice Chaudhry recalled that on January 15, 2003 the then chief justice of Pakistan and the President of the family division of the High Court of England and Wales had signed a protocol on family and child issues to protect the child from abduction by parent from the territories of one country to another. “Ever since the signing of the protocol, the judiciaries of the two countries maintain a regular liaison through exchange of visits and other means,” he said.

This helps in ensuring follow up action on the protocol and expedite decision of applications for return of children wrongfully removed from one country to the other on the assumption that in the normal circumstances the welfare of a child is best determined by the court of the country of the child’s habitual/ordinary residence, he observed.