Appearing from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad & Quetta

Tuesday, February 09, 2010, Safar 24, 1431

Now the Government should deliver

CHIEF Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has repeated his assurance that the Apex Court has no designs to weaken the democratic system as the Judiciary itself rendered great sacrifices to put the country on path to democracy. Talking to members of the legal community in Peshawar the CJP also said the main problem being presently faced by the Judiciary is filling of vacant positions in superior courts according to the Constitution.

The very pertinent remarks of the Chief Justice should be reassuring to the Government that there is no danger to the system and now it must start paying due attention to good governance and addressing the serious issues facing the country. On top of them are law and order, price hike, revival of economy, provision of jobs and alleviation of poverty. Unless and until immediate problems of the masses are addressed democracy would not take its root because the masses could be exploited by vested interests that the Government has failed to deliver. In an increasing number of countries, where inhumane conditions dominate, voices are rising for change. The same is the case with Pakistan. Democracy is a spontaneous expression of a collective will that may appear to be noisy or amorphous yet it meticulously ensures both a sense of direction as well as stability. For democracy to flourish, the political leadership must have a close eye on the problems of the country and the masses rather than concentrating on hanging on to the power for political gains. In his remarks Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry very rightly linked the quick dispensation of cases to the immediate induction of judges against vacancies in the superior courts. We think that the Government should appoint the Judges as recommended by the Chief Justice on priority basis to alleviate the sufferings of the litigants. This would not only give relief to the litigants but also send a positive signal to the people that there is complete harmony among all the institutions of State. The Government’s plea that its performance should be judged at the completion of its tenure is not acceptable. Two years have been virtually wasted for various reasons and now after reassuring statement by the Chief Justice the Government must feel secure, address issues that irk the masses and deliver on the promises made to the people.

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