HYDERABAD, July 16 An independent judiciary is assimilation of judicial propriety and impartiality, said Asma Jehangir, leading human rights activist and former chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

She said that independent judiciary was important for democracy while opposing clash of institutions. However, the Executive needs a judicial check, she argued.

She was addressing members of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHBA) in connection with her electioneering campaign during a visit to Hyderabad on Friday. Asma Jehangir is contesting for the post of president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

The country was being run by the establishment rather than the PPP, she said arguing that they were controlling the foreign office and managing everything in Swat as well as deciding the Chief Justice of Azad Kashmir.

Situation in other areas was no different because of the involvement of establishment as the country is beseeched in one conflict or the other, she said.

She criticized the Punjab's response to Data Darbar suicide bombings for it showed as if the government was not part of the country.

“I don't want to become a B-team of the PPP, PML or the judiciary as I believe in an independent SBCA,” she said questioning as why she should go for perks and privileges when she did not seek these from Benazir Bhutto. People vying for it contest Senate elections and not of SCBA, she said adding that she would have been in the GHQ, had she been vying for these.

“Democratic setup should be allowed to run on the lines of restored judiciary,” she noted and said “We are bracketed with Zardari camp whenever a judge is criticized and expressed her respect towards the Chief Justice for giving important judgments.”

She called for summoning officials of intelligence agencies to courts for getting released the missing persons and expressed her resolve for knowing the mandate of these agencies.