No respect for anyone sans honour for courts: LHC CJ

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan has emphasised the need to avoid confrontation among institutions, saying: “Beware of those who want to sow discord”.

Justice Shahzad was addressing the conclusion ceremony organised for the participants of a pre-service training course at Punjab Judicial Academy on Friday. The chief justice expressed his views that confrontation would only weaken the institutions. He clarified that the “judiciary does not want face-off” with any bar, institution, or government, however, “this gesture should be seen by all parties”.

Justice Shahzad added that they will “respect everyone until the courts are given due honour, otherwise, no one should set high expectations”. He also clarified that the legal fraternity would not work above the law at any cost. The senior jurist urged the judges, who completed their pre-service training course, to realise a big responsibility on them which demands them to work fearlessly, without accepting any pressure and greed.

“Fear the God on the throne… we will not be afraid of those on the ground,” he said. Justice Shahzad stressed the legal fraternity not become the “B team” of any government, agency or institution, except for enhancing coordination to improve the system. He added that Punjab has 1.4 million cases pending in different courts as the province was facing a shortage of jurists while strikes in courts were also a big factor of the pending litigation.

He praised the legal fraternity of Punjab, especially the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and other Supreme Court judges, for playing a vital role in ending the strike culture at the country’s courts. Justice Shahzad said that Justice Alvin Robert Cornelius — the 4th CJP and Pakistan’s first Christian chief justice — was the first jurist who started the journey of realising the dream of an independent judiciary.

He went on the say that many justices like Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, Wajihuddin Ahmed, Nasir Aslam Zahid, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and others played their parts to continue the journey. The LHC CJ added that the judicial system was not established to serve powerful personalities but to defend the rights of innocent, helpless and weak people. He urged the jurists to work tirelessly to realise the dream of an independent judiciary in the country.