PESHAWAR, April 21: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that an independent judiciary was indispensable for safeguarding fundamental rights and the freedoms of the individual enshrined in the Constitution.

Justice Iftikhar was speaking on the ‘role of the judiciary in good governance’ after administering oath to the office-bearers of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association on the court’s premises.

The PHC’s chief justice, Justice Tariq Pervez, and 10 other judges were present on the occasion.

Only two judges did not attend the function. One of them was Justice Jahanzeb Rahim, who had sent a letter against Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to President Pervez Musharraf two months ago, and the other was Justice Talat Qayyum, a heart patient.

Justice Iftikhar’s motorcade took nine hours to reach Peshawar from Islamabad. People lined both sides of the roads along the route.

Activists of political parties and office-bearers of bar associations showered the motorcade with flowers at Hasan Abadal, Attock Khurd, Jehangira, Sheedo, Akora Khattak, Nowshera and Pabbi.

The Pakistan Muslim League (N), People’s Party Parliamentarians, Jamaat-i-Islami, Awami National Party and Tehreek-i-Insaf had set up camps along the G.T. Road.

The chief justice said the people of Pakistan could observe the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice in accordance with the teachings of Islam. He said the Constitution also guaranteed rights to minorities and gave them freedom to profess and practise their religion.

He said obedience to the Constitution and law was obligatory on every citizen. “The superior courts could protect the rights of citizens and institutions under various articles, including 184, 187, 188 and 189 of the Constitution.”

Justice Iftikhar said the `autonomy and independence of institutions’ was essential to their development. The intervention of one institution in the affairs of another not only led to bad governance, but also impeded the free functioning of institutions.

The chief justice said the autonomy of institutions was as important as provincial autonomy. He referred to the special laws for the marginalised and vulnerable groups like children, women and minorities.

“The Constitution provides guarantees on such issues and it could be achieved through an independent and effective judicial system, which should be responsive to these groups.”

Justice Iftikhar said he used to receive 150 complaints at the Supreme Court.

He also spoke about the socio-economic rights of citizens. He said investors never brought money to a country without convincing themselves about the strength of the judicial system Three members of the chief justice’s panel of lawyers — Aitzaz Ahsan, Hamid Ali Khan and Ali Ahmed Kurd — also spoke at the gathering, vowing to continue their struggle till the reinstatement of Justice Iftikhar, restoration of democracy and the rule of law.

Yaqoob Malik adds from Attock: Addressing briefly a large gathering of lawyers at a reception organised by the District Bar Association (DBA) Attock at Hattian Chowk on the main GT Road here on Saturday, Justice Iftikhar said that he was optimistic about his success in the fight for independence of judiciary due to the massive support extended to him by the entire nation since his ‘suspension’, which is really a great honour for him.

Justice Iftikhar was given a standing ovation as he arrived in a big procession. Besides a large number of prominent lawyers, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Islamabad Bar Association President Haroon Rashid also accompanied with the Chief Justice.

Lawyers held aloft black flags and banners, while activists of the PPP, PML-N, Jamaat-i-Islami, Muttahida Mehnutkush Mahaz (MMM) and the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) carried party flags. They gave a warm welcome to Chief Justice Iftikhar on his arrival in Hattian from Islamabad by road.