DERA GHAZI KHAN: Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa said on Saturday a successful justice system was dependent on good, solid character and professional dignity.

Addressing the district bar in a reminiscent mood, CJP Khosa remembered his childhood and said when he was studying at primary school a teacher punished him and he left the school and reached his father’s chamber at the DG Khan district courts. Again when he was in the high school a similar incident happened, and considering his self-respect, his father changed the school.

“So since [my] childhood I never compromised on personal honour and dignitary. It is my lesson for young lawyers [that they should] never compromise on personal honour and dignity as all is in the hands of the Almighty”.

He thanked the district bar for offering him its unopposed presidentship for being the first barrister from the district. However, he said he had refused the offer as he wanted to do legal practice in a bigger arena.

“My father wanted that I should join the civil service by [appearing in] CSS exams, but I wanted to adopt a profession in which I remained independent, so I joined legal fraternity,” he said.

He said common people could break the barriers of power and economic status only through education. “Do not demand respect, but command it by your professional dignity,” he advised the lawyers.

Commenting on the demands presented by the bar president, Advocate Yasir Khosa, he said in a lighter vein that the bar president was perhaps not aware of Baloch tradition, according to which nothing was demanded of a guest.

About the bar’s demand of establishment of a high court bench at DG Khan, he said it was an era of e-filing of cases “so place [computer] screens at at all bars and their is no need to establish high court benches” everywhere. In this connection, he gave example of Singapore where, he said, the lawyers and judges used cyber gadgets for counseling as well as delivering verdicts. “It is vision of model courts,” he added.

He said the process was under way to shift both the bar and the bench to cyber technology.

Earlier, the CJP visited the school from where he had passed his secondary school exam and obtained first position in the district and stood fifth in the Multan board. He also visited his high school class room.

On reaching the judicial complex, he was presented a guard of honour. He also planted a sapling there.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2019