KARACHI: Mining of Pak-Afghan border opposed: SHCBA passes resolution
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 13: The Sindh High Court Bar Association on Saturday called for constitution of an independent election commission by common consent and preparation of an agreed ‘final’ voters list.
A resolution passed by the new SHCBA managing committee at its first formal meeting said that these steps were necessary for transparent elections and to avoid post-election controversies.
It recalled that the association had always upheld democracy and rule of law and emphasised adherence to democratic norms not only by the ruling party but also by the opposition.
Expressing concern over the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan and tribal areas, the association stressed the need for a political dialogue and ‘immediate’ enactment of constitutional amendments in accordance with the aspirations of the people.
It opposed the decision to mine the Pakistan-Afghan border as it would endanger human lives and advised the government to sign the Ottawa Convention against mines.
The association also expressed concern over the disappearance of citizens and condemned the role of intelligence and law enforcement agencies in this regard. It commended the initiative taken by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry for the protection of human rights in exercise of the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
It warned that the alarming rise in street crimes in Karachi was causing resentment and anxiety among the people and urged the administration to take effective measures to arrest the situation. The association strongly condemned ‘the assassination’ of Punjab Additional Advocate-General Arif Bhinder in Lahore and supported the lawyers’ campaign for prompt investigation and arrest of culprits.
The SHCBA appealed to the chief justice to set up permanent benches of the Supreme Court in all provinces to facilitate the bar and the bench to provide speedy justice. All judicial vacancies should be filled, it resolved.
MORE JUDGES: Speaking at a press conference later, SHCBA president Abrar Hasan said the sanctioned strength of the Sindh High Court should be raised to 40 judges. The court consists of 28 judges and generally functions under the sanctioned strength because of delay in appointment of judges.
The result is that only one high court judge is available to dispose of company matters, though Karachi has the largest concentration of commercial concerns. The government should allocate additional funds for appointment of more judges.
Similarly, civil, criminal, customs, accountability, terrorism and labour cases remain pending for years; he added saying that breach of contract, in particular, requires prompt redress but no expeditious remedy is available to the aggrieved parties.
