LAHORE, July 3: Former chief justice of Pakistan Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui has hailed the Supreme Court’s decision of banning entry of intelligence agencies in courts and bugging offices and residences of judges.

Briefly talking to reporters after the launch of second book by incarcerated PML-N leader Javed Hashmi here on Tuesday, he said the decision should have been taken much ago.

Justice Siddiqui stepped down as the CJP refusing to take fresh oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) as demanded by Gen Musharraf soon after the Oct 12, 1999 military coup.

Answering a question about the lawyers’ ongoing movement, Justice Siddiqui said it was an unprecedented movement which would have positive outcomes like enabling the judiciary to take independent decisions.

Speaking at the book launch, he said the common man was gradually losing his trust in the judicial system due to certain decisions in cases to which the government of the time was a party. He said establishment of special courts was giving the impression that the rulers managed to obtain verdicts from these courts to pressure their opponents and harass them.

“There is no change in the situation, but some events in the recent past, the reference and suspension of the CJP being the most important of them, have cast long-lasting effects on the country’s political situation and the judicial system,” he observed.

Though the government circles were denying the importance of the ensuing protests, he said, the people abreast with the country’s history were optimistic about its positive outcome.

He hoped that the lawyers’ drive would result in the emergence of an active and strong judiciary capable of ensuring rule of law and constitution in the country, and protecting an ordinary citizen’s rights.

Columnist Syed Irshad Arif pointed out that politicians lacked prejudice for their colleagues unlike the armed forces. “The army’s bias is so strong that they buried Gen Yahya Khan, the army dictator mainly responsible for the bifurcation of the country in 1971, wrapping him in the national flag.”

Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr Khwaja Muhammad Zakariya, Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Ataul Haq Qasmi, Dr Ajmal Niazi, Nasir Zaidi and Dr Saeed Elahi. —Staff Reporter