‘Fulfilment of demands of justice more essential’

By Tariq Naqash

Sunday, 24 Jan, 2010

MUZAFFARABAD, Jan 23: Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry on Saturday maintained that fulfilment of the “demands of justice” was more essential than adhering to the laws and rules if the latter failed to provide justice to the common lot.

“The laws and rules are made for the human beings and not the other way round. If law and rules prevent dispensation of justice then demands of justice ought to be fulfilled rather than following them,” he said at a function organised by the non-governmental organisation – Press for Peace - in his honour here at a local hotel.

In the same context, the CJ pointed out that many people, particularly the legal experts, had expressed reservations over the ‘monitoring cell’ he had established in the AJK Supreme Court terming it as a “deviation from the law” but he could not subscribe to their standpoint.

“The judiciary is duty bound to provide justice to the common lot and in order to ensure early dispensation of justice practical steps have to be taken without indulging in any such debate,” he said.

He pointed out that the poor and unaided people would sell their property, cattle and other valuables in the hope of justice from the courts and there could not be peace in a society if the courts failed to provide justice.

“The Supreme Court was under constitutional obligation to take practical steps in view of the demands of justice in the country,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice Mohammad Younis Tahir, judge of the AJK High Court, claimed that the superior judiciary in Pakistan had emulated the superior judiciary in AJK which was a matter of pride for the people of this region.

“All those measures which are currently being adopted in the judiciary in Pakistan were initiated by Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry when he was chief justice of the AJK High Court,” said Justice Tahir, who also heads the AJK Ehtesab Bureau.

He asserted that the accountability bureau was an effective organisation but it could initiate investigation after receiving references from the government.

Investigations into some important cases were in their last leg and final decisions on them would be made very soon, he disclosed.

Others who spoke on the occasion included renowned educationist and PFP patron in chief Mrs Tanvir Lateef, PFP director Raja Wasim, AJK Advocate General Chaudhry Ibrahim Zia, Central Bar Association’s secretary general Raja Faisal Majeed and Central Press Club Muzaffarabad president Wahid Iqbal Butt.

Ms Latif also gave a “peace and justice award” to the CJ on behalf of the NGO in recognition of his services to “bring reforms in judiciary to provide speedy justice to the litigants.”

Courtesy: Dawn

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