November 05, 2006	Sunday	Shawwal 12, 1427

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QUETTA, Nov 4: Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary has said that provision of quick and cheap justice to every citizen without any discrimination was the responsibility of the state and judiciary.

Addressing the concluding session of a one-day seminar on “Justice for all” held here on Saturday, he said provision of justice was necessary for establishing a civilised society. The seminar was organised by provincial ombudsman, UNDP and Federal Ministry for Local Government and Rural Development.

The chief justices of Balochistan and Sindh high courts, Provincial Minister Hafiz Hussain Shrodi, senior judges of the apex court, provincial ombudsman, UNDP country chief, CPNE President Syed Fasieh Iqbal and a large number of lawyers and people attended the seminar.

Justice Chaudhry said that justice and good governance provided conducive atmosphere for promoting trade, industry and other business that could move a society towards economic and social development.

“Upholding of democratic traditions, constitution and supremacy of law is imperative for the development of a country,” the SC chief justice said, adding that all those elements, including judiciary, were necessary for a civilised society that honoured the supremacy of law.

Referring the concept of “Justice for all”, he said that it could be possible when all segment of society got ready for providing justice to people as it was a collective and as well as individual responsibility of every institution and person enjoying powers to do justice in his department concerned.

He said Constitution was a ‘super law’ and its clauses were applicable to all authorities and institutions, including legislative institutions, high officials and judiciary. Law should be supreme and no body would be above the law, he added. Justice Chaudhry said that the institution of Ombudsman provided relief to aggrieved people who suffered due to wrong orders and decisions of government officials.

He said that the Alternate Disputes Resolution (ADR) was an efficient and timely system of justice and was a basic need of the society to provide cheep and quick justice to people at their doorsteps. The ADR system was to assist women and other vulnerable sections of the society in improving their conditions through safeguarding and promoting their rights and lawful entitlements, he added.

He lauded the role of media and said that it brought many incidents in the notice of the courts through publishing in details. He paid tributes to CPNE President Syed Fasieh Iqbal for presenting the case of Balochistan at all forums.

BHC Chief Justice Amanullah Yasinzai said that steps were being taken for providing quick justice in the far-flung areas of the province and the government was appointing judicial magistrate courts on priority basis.

He said that with the cooperation of the UNDP reconciliation committees were being set up. Initially they were established in Quetta and Lasbela and had been playing effective role in providing justice, he added.

Earlier, Ombudsman Justice (retired) Fazalur Rahman presented the welcome address.