LAHORE, Oct 19: Supreme Court judge Mian Muhammad Ajmal has said that courts should not be involved in political issues.

He was speaking at a meeting arranged by the Sohni Dharti Youth Council to launch eminent lawyer Senator S.M. Zafar’s new book Adalat Main Siasat in a hotel here on Sunday. He said that an important question which needed serious consideration was how the courts got involved in political matters. He however added that the courts could not be held responsible for the phenomenon.

He said that author of the book possessed great observation of the events which was reflected in his book. He said that Mr Zafar had mentioned those legal cases in his book which had faded from public memory despite being part of Pakistan’s legal history. He appreciated Mr Zafar’s services in the field of law.

The chief guest, famous writer Bano Qudsia, said that Mr Zafar had explained intricate legal phrases in simple Urdu language. He had upheld impartiality and objectivity of the law while discussing various cases in his book. She said that equality or rule of law was the essence of Islamic teachings. She said that there could not be justice without rule of law in any society.

Punjab Advocate General Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi said that there could be no rule of law or justice in a society where there was concentration of wealth in a few hands. He said that Mr Zafar had expressed his anxiety and concern over the present state of Pakistan society in his book and he had given useful guidelines to young lawyers in his book.

Former CPNE president Mujibur Rahman Shami said that the author of book, while discussing the role of the judiciary in Pakistan, had posed many important questions to all sections of Pakistan society. Military generals, civilian bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, journalists and writers were responsible for the present decline in the society and they should be made accountable for it by some ombudsman. He emphasized the need for maintaining the respect and honour of the courts in all sections of the society. The courts on their part were required to deliver justice without which no society could exist or lawlessness be checked.

Pakistan Law college principal Humayum Ehsan paid rich tribute to the author, saying that Mr Zafar had provided the necessary guidance not only to lawyers but the common man as well by simple arguments, which could be followed by people. He lamented that the vested interests had been using courts for political purposes and involving them in corruption. He said that corruption in courts was not only disastrous for society but it also rendered corruption in other sections of the society irrelevant. The courts had been involved in politics and even used it as an instrument against the sovereignty of the state. He said that the breakdown of three organs of the state, parliament, executive and judiciary, paved the way for military intervention. If the courts could not protect the constitution, Article 6 of the Constitution was rendered irrelevant and it should be repealed, he argued.

Columnist Dr Ajmal Niazi appreciated the simple and lucid style of the author and said that intricate legal terms had been given a touch of good literature.

S. M. Zafar stressed the need for honesty, hard work and deep knowledge and understanding of the law for delivering justice. He said that excellent judgments of the courts of Pakistan must be appreciated and bad decisions criticized.