RAWALPINDI, March 14: Acting President and Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed said system of administration of justice could be strengthened if bench and bar speak with one voice for the rule of law.

Speaking as the chief guest at a reception arranged by the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench, here on Thursday, he said a strong bar was indispensable for an independent and efficient judiciary.

The acting president said the efforts were afoot to clear the backlog of the cases in various courts and the Chief Justices Committee had taken a number of steps in this regard. Sheikh Riaz Ahmed said the procedures regarding filing family cases would be simplified soon. The acting president said the judiciary would play its vital role for the reformation of the society.

He announced a donation of Rs200,000 for the library of the LHC Bar Association, Rawalpindi Bench.

In his speech, the president of the Bar, Chaudhry Ikramul Haq said the superior judiciary should take immediate notice of the alleged custodian killings, police torture and police encounters in the interest of justice. He said there was a need to update the present judicial system to bring it at par with the developed countries of the world.

A large number of lawyers, judges of superior and subordinate judiciary attended the reception.

The acting president, Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, also inaugurated the newly-constructed “Jinnah Hall” at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).

Speaking on the occasion, he lauded the AIOU for expanding its network to the far flung and remote areas which in the past remained neglected for years.

He said the people living in all areas had the equal right of education and to fulfil this objective was the responsibility of the society and the government. The AIOU had been rendering great service in this regard, he added.

Justice Sh Riaz Ahmed hoped that people would make best use of these opportunities being offered by the AIOU and engage themselves in spreading knowledge to other fellow-beings in line with the teachings of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He said the AIOU should be brought at par with the modern universities in the world as regards its standard of education and provision of other facilities like library etc. to quench the thirst of those seeking knowledge.

He expressed the confidence that the vice-chancellor, Prof Dr Syed Altaf Hussain, and his team would put in best efforts to make it a dignified institution in the world. The acting president said he had a long association with the AIOU because being a member of the executive council, he had been regularly attending meetings here.

He said a large number of teachers from all over the country had contacted the university for registration of their names as tutors which was a proof of their confidence in the university.— APP