LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Saturday that the judiciary was the defender of the Constitution and that it was determined to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities, DawnNews reported.

Speaking at a session of the National Judicial Policymaking Committee (NJPC) held at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, the chief justice said the judiciary wanted to ensure the supremacy of Constitution.

Chairing the session, Chief Justice Iftikhar said providing speedy justice was the responsibility of the state and the judiciary, adding that the courts had progressed significantly during the last five years in terms of taking effective measures for the dispensation of justice.

Furthermore, he said that merit-based decisions of the courts had increased the level of public confidence in the judiciary.

He added that judges must be provided with foolproof security as the country’s law and order situation in Pakistan, especially in areas such as Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, remained unstable.

Chief Justice Iftikhar also said that the country faced a shortage of judges, adding that despite having sent an application in this regard, the issue had remained unresolved.

Saturday’s session of the NJPC reviewed the implementation of the national judicial policy and other issues related to speedy settlement of cases.

The committee meeting was attended by the chief justices of all high courts, as well as those of the Gilgit-Baltistan, the Azad Jammu & Kashmir Supreme Court and the Federal Shariat Court.

The chief justice said the judges had persistently decided major cases in accordance with the Constitution and the law.