Dec 20 , 2015
News
Judiciary performing its constitutional role: CJ
By Jamal Khurshid
KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Saturday said that judiciary performs its constitutional role and it is free from any kind of pressure or any expediency.
Addressing a seminar on role of ombudsman in providing administrative justice in the province, the Chief Justice observed that it is prime duty of the government to bring improvements in the socio-economic system and to ensure that rights of citizens are protected and there should not be any economical exploitation at any level.
He said that misadministration and corruption was destroying the fabric of the society like a termite and people face hardship due to delay in dispensation of justice. He said that the judiciary faces the burden of the cases, which are taken up following the due procedures. He opined that if the issues of minor nature are resolved at the platforms like the Ombudsman’s Office then it would lessen the burden of cases on the judiciary. He informed that the Supreme Court’s Human Rights Cell had received over 21000 applications pending till January 2014, while 54916 new applications were received by November 2015. However, he claimed that the apex court had disposed of 65,291 applications either at the level of the HRC or at the judicial side by initiating suo motu proceedings.
CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali said that the process of dispensation of justice to the masses was being easier and cited the Ombudsman’s Office was one such example in this regard.
He said that people were facing difficulties due to complications in the laws which were linked to the judiciary. He clarified that under the constitution the judiciary had no powers to make laws, as it was the duty of the legislature adding that the judiciary’s function was to interpret the laws. The Chief Justice said that justice is the foundation of any society, adding that if people do not get timely and cheap justice from the government institutions, then they look up to other departments such as the Ombudsman Office which can provide them the same.
Lauding the performance of the Sindh Ombudsman, he expressed the hope that it was not only resolving public grievances without engaging any lawyer or paying heavy fees.
He recalled that the provisions were added to the Constitution of 1973 for the establishment of the office of the Ombudsman and for the first time the definition of institutional maladministration was defined when the Act was passed afterwards.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said there were only three offices of the Ombudsman in the province in 2003, which were increased to 16 today, while approval had been accorded to another five offices, which would soon be set up.
He said the Governor’s House, which has powers to hear appeals against the verdicts given by the Ombudsman, had upheld Ombudsman’s decision in more than 90 percent of the cases, as the same were passed in accordance with the law.
Provincial Ombudsman Asad Ashraf Malik said the regional offices of the Ombudsman were providing free and timely justice to the public, who were only required to submit written applications against the wrongdoing of any government department. He pointed out, however, that no amendments had been made to the laws governing the provincial Ombudsman, which should be done at the earliest.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
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