QUETTA: The Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court, Justice Jamal Mandokhel, has said that giving verdicts in accordance with the Constitution and the law is not a favour but a duty of the judiciary.

Speaking at a full court reference arranged in his honour here on Friday, Justice Mandokhel said he always gave verdicts with God as his witness and said he had firm belief that judges of the Balochistan High Court would continue their mission of delivering justice to the masses.

The full court reference was held on the elevation of Justice Mandokhel as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

“Thank you for the support the bar and the bench provided me to ensure justice,” Justice Mandokhel said.

BHC chief justice speaks at full court reference

“I tried to keep my oath,” the Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court said, adding that the duty of the judiciary was to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to the masses.

“If a judge is unable to deliver justice to the people, he should resign from his post as judges get their salaries from taxes of the people and the people pin high hopes on the judiciary to get justice,” Justice Mandokhel said.

“The judiciary must come up to expectations of the masses. As a judge, I give credit for every judgment to lawyers,” he added.

“It is the duty of lawyers to present a case with complete preparations and the judiciary must announce verdicts in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, the senior-most judge of the Balochistan High Court, said: “Justice Jamal Mandokhel played an important role in the lawyers’ movement for restoration of independence of judiciary in the country and he will always be remembered for his wise judgments.”

“Justice Jamal Mandokhel is our pride as he introduced reforms in judiciary,” he said.

Before Justice Mandokhel’s elevation to the Supreme Court, six judges from Balochistan have served in the Supreme Court.

After the appointment of Justice Mandokhel as a judge of the Supreme Court, the number of judges belonging to Balochistan in the Supreme Court will increase to two.

Being the senior-most judge of the Balochistan, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan will be the next chief justice of Balochistan High Court.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2021