LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday brushed aside the ongoing “solidarity campaign for the judiciary by certain political quarters” saying he would not allow anyone to politicise the institution.

Without naming any political party, he said a new trend of doing romance with the Supreme Court had popped up in the country but “we are independent and do not need any support from anyone except lawyers.”

In his short address at a dinner hosted by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, CJP Nisar further said that protecting fundamental rights was the prime duty of courts. He said courts were forced to take notice against violation of the fundamental rights due to omission on part of the state. “If state performs its duty well, courts would have no need to do this,” he added.

He pointed out that there was a suggestion from senior puisne judge, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, to allow live media coverage of the proceedings in human rights cases.

About the relations between the bar and the bench, the chief justice said the bar had always safeguarded its judges. “In my view, we (bar and bench) are probably two brothers from one mother,” he said.

“I wish to lift the dignity of the bar with my character and act,” CJP Nisar told the lawyers and asked them to honour the competent members of the bar. He said they had decided to hold interviews of the nominees before their elevation to the high courts. He said he had asked the Lahore High Court chief justice to present names of the most competent lawyers after consultation with the bar to fill vacancies of judges in the high court.

Responding to reservations of lawyers on newly-introduced IT based case management system in the LHC, he said the use of information technology was the need of the hour. However, he said he would request the LHC chief justice to overcome the problems.

A two-judge bench headed by CJP Nisar would hear human rights cases on Saturday (today) at the Lahore registry.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018