KARACHI, May 1: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Nazim Hussain Siddiqui has said that the strengthening of independence of the judiciary is vital for the dispensation of justice in the country.

Speaking at a seminar on `Role of Lawyers in Civil Society’, organised by the Legal Aid, Human Rights and Rescue Organisation of Pakistan at a local hotel on Tuesday, he urged the lawyers to play their due role in fulfilling the legal requirements.

“The lawyers must assist the Supreme Court to decide the matters about the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on merit so that justice could be done,” he said, and added that all of us must refrain from such activities that defame the superior judiciary. Regarding the SJC constitution, he said it was according to legal requirements.

He urged political parties not to give the prevailing judicial situation a political colour and keep politics away from the matter.

He also hailed the services of Justice Rana Bhagwan Das, saying that his services for the judiciary could not be ignored.

Provincial Minister for Law Chaudhry Iftikhar, Additional Advocate-General of Hyderabad Masood Noorani, Additional Advocate-General of Sindh Qazi Khalid, Barrister Shahida Jamil, Prof Mohammad Anwar, Naeem Memon, Advocates Dr Nasim Farooqui and Dr Rana M. Shamim, former judges Didar Hussain Shahand Agha Saifuddin, and others also spoke.