ISLAMABAD: Pakistan can defeat its enemies if every institution keeps its own house in order and ensures strict observance of the constitution,

Athar Minallah, the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Chief Justice, said at a flag-hoisting ceremony on Wednesday.

Justice Minallah said Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had led the Muslims of India to the goal of a separate homeland through the “rule of law, for the rule of law”.

“Pakistan is facing different problems like terrorism which have caused the death of over 60,000 people,” he said. “Such a staggering loss of life did not occur even during wars.”

Recalling the movement for reinstatement of judges in 2007, Justice Minallah said the objective was to ensure supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law. “But it is unfortunate that this objective has yet to be achieved.”

The IHC chief justice expressed displeasure over the government’s failure to improve working conditions in Islamabad’s district courts.

“It is not among the government’s priorities. Successive governments have not bothered to improve the pathetic conditions in the district courts.”

Justice Minallah pointed out that the litigants’ dissatisfaction with the judiciary meant that the movement for reinstatement of judges had turned out to be a failure.

However, he expressed hope that with the shifting of IHC to its new building on Constitution Avenue next year and subsequent shifting of the district courts to the existing IHC premises, the overall environment of lower courts would improve.

“Due to the poor condition of district courts, the area is vulnerable.”

He recalled that in March 2014, terrorists attacked the courts and took several innocent lives.

The chief justice had invited the legal heirs of those who lost their lives in the attack to the flag-hoisting ceremony.

Rao Naveed Iqbal and Ali Zain, sons of two of the dead, thanked Justice Minallah for remembering “our loved ones”.

Among others who attended the ceremony were Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, acting District and Sessions judge Atta Rabbani and additional district and sessions judge Raja Asif Mehmood.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2019