SUKKUR, April 7: The judiciary has a constitutional right to keep a close watch on unlawful and unconstitutional acts of different pillars of the state and unlawful use of authority. In such cases when lawlessness and violation of constitution increases to extreme extent and it seems that the constitutional institutions are unable to perform their basic duties, then the only institution of judiciary remains there which has the trust of people.

This was stated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry while speaking at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) Sukkur chapter on Saturday night.

Justice Jawad S. Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Mohammad Athar Saeed, Justice Aijaz Afzal, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Mushir Alam, members of the lower judiciary, besides office-bearers and members of the SHCBA and bar associations of various districts of Sindh, were also present.

Chief Justice Chaudhry paid tribute to the lawyers fraternity for spearheading a sustained struggle for the independence of the judiciary, and said that     lawyers with the help of civil society, the media and different segments of society resisted all unconstitutional steps and offered great sacrifices for supremacy of law and constitution.

“The judiciary of the day, by the grace of Almighty Allah, has closed all doors to dictatorship, coercion and injustice,” he said, adding that “the credit goes to lawyers and members of civil society”.

He made mention of different periods the country remained under marshal law, and regretted that courts also encouraged martial regimes’ unconstitutional measures during these periods. As a result of lawyers’ movement and the public support it received, the chapter of marshal law had been closed once and for all, he said.

“Restoration of democracy and the efforts for supremacy of constitution and law helped the democratic government to complete its five-year term and strengthen the roots of democracy which itself is a historic achievement,” he remarked.

Despite all this, he observed, the country was still facing a mess of problems including terrorism, lawlessness, discrimination, unjust distribution of resources, kidnapping for ransom, extra-judicial killings and sectarian disturbances. He hoped that the legal fraternity would also play its role in addressing these issues.

CJ Chaudhry said that the constitution had defined the scope and limits of the executive, legislature and judiciary to ensure a smooth working of system and it was mandatory upon all three institutions to perform their role within their limits and for transparency and lawful dispensation of state affairs, a specific role had been earmarked for the judiciary, especially the higher judiciary, he added.

Earlier, office-bearers of the Sukkur SHCBA and Kandhkot and Naushahro Feroze district bar associations took oath of their offices.