PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court’s outgoing Chief Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk on Monday said judgeship was a tough job because a judge had to safeguard the people’s rights besides protecting the interests of the state.

“The administration of justice is a divine function. And when entrusted to human beings, it is a heavy responsibility,” Justice Mulk told a full court reference organised in his honour on the eve of his retirement here.

The outgoing chief justice said in fulfilling their duties, judges not only had to with stand many temptations and allurements but also had to face many threats and losses.

“A judge has to earn the wrath of not only the powerful executives but also of very influential and big fish in the society,” he said.

Justice Mulk thanked his colleagues for cooperating with him in discharge of duties and said even in the event of expressing any constructive difference of opinion, too, they paid due respect to him.

He said without the assistance and cooperation of the lawyers, it would not have been possible for him to discharge the big responsibility.

“We have got an independent state, a democratic system of governance with a strong, independent and popular judiciary, so we also owe a duty to our coming generations not only to maintain the present state of affairs but also remain alive to the changing global trends, challenges and opportunities so that they may not get lag behind,” he said.

On the occasion, Chief Justice-designate Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel praised the outgoing chief justice for his service for judicatory and said they had assembled here with mixed feelings of pensive mood with a heavy heart and at the same time a sense of satisfaction and contentment.“Pensive mood for parting a pleasant and delightful company of a righteous chief justice and good and sincere friend while happiness because Mr Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk will be laying off robes with honour, credit and clear conscience. This is one’s asset in true sense,” he said.

Justice Miankhel said he was feeling proud to say that he and Chief Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk were elevated to the Bench together on September 7, 2009 and were confirmed together on September 5, 2011.

He said as a chief justice, he had brought tremendous changes or reforms at the level of district judiciary as well as in the administrative setup of the high court in a very short span of time.

The chief justice-designate said he had also introduced reforms on judicial side in the High Court by constituting special benches for the disposal of cases pertaining to different nature and had taken a step towards clearance of backlog of cases to a remarkable point.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Lateef Yousafzai, Peshawar High Court Bar Association election commissioner Khawaja Mohammad Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council vice chairman Akhtar Ali Khan also spoke on the occasion. They also hailed the services of Justice Main Fasihul Mulk for judiciary.—Bureau Report