HYDERABAD/NAWABSHAH: The judiciary will remain independent and grow stronger as long as lawyers continue to lend their full cooperation to it. Merit in appointment of judges is the key to dispensation of justice. It is better to keep the posts of judges vacant rather than appoint corrupt people to these posts.
These observations were made by Sindh High Court Chief Justice Mushir Alam while speaking to lawyers in Tando Mohammad Khan and Nawabshah on Tuesday.
Speaking at a reception hosted by the Tando Mohammad Khan District Bar Association, the chief justice said the judges of the apex court and high courts were strictly adhering to merit and successfully upholding it to ensure dispensation of justice without any fear or favour. He said that around 3,500 candidates appeared in the examinations held throughout Sindh for the posts of judges and qualified among them emerged successful.
He said there was a general impression that Karachi produced a better lot than other areas of Sindh. However, he pointed out, no candidate out of many appearing in the exams from two districts of Karachi could qualify for the post of a judge.
He said merit was being encouraged so that the judiciary could discharge its responsibilities independently and efficiently. He observed that the judiciary rejecting pressures and favours was not being liked by some quarters.
However, he added, the bench would continue to dispense justice with the full cooperation being extended to it by the bar.
Chief Justice Alam along with his colleagues and lawyers visited the site of the under-construction building of the Tando Mohammad Khan district and sessions court. He noted that due to a delay in the release of the required funds, the project could not be completed so far. He hoped that the funds would be released soon.
Chief engineer of the project Qazi Farooq informed the chief justice that the project was being executed at a cost of Rs157.28 million and expected to be completed by June this year. He said that a grant of Rs38.75 million was awaited.
The president and members of the T.M. Khan Bar Association apprised the chief justice of the problems being faced by the legal fraternity in the discharge of their professional duties.
Speaking at the annual dinner hosted by the Shaheed Benazirabad District Bar Association on Monday night, Chief Justice Mushir Alam that all the vacant posts of judges could be filled immediately but the judiciary could not compromise on merit.
“We are working to bring a transparent judicial system which will benefit the next generations,” he remarked.
Bar President Advocate Ziaul Hassan Lanjar urged the chief justice to help establish a high court circuit bench, an anti corruption court and a banking court at Nawabshah.
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Aftab Ahmed, Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi, Nawabshah District and Session Judge Waqar Ahmed, Indonesian Consul General Rosaliz Ardnan and others attended the dinner.