Pakistan

Darul Qaza: Quick appointment of judges urged

SCBA president pledges support for lawyers in Swat, terms military courts ‘unacceptable’.

Fazal Khaliq April 15, 2011 1 min read

SWAT:

Thousands of provincial lawyers across the country, along with Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir and Lateef Afridi, attended the provincial convention called by the Swat Bar Association (SBA), demanding the appointment of judges in Darul Qaza.

This was the 24th day of the consecutive boycott of regular courts by the SBA, who demands the quick appointment of judges in Darul Qaza which was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari and the parliament on April 13, 2009.

The apex Sharia court was then duly inaugurated by Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on February 18, 2011. Unfortunately, since then, Darul Qaza has remained non-functional due to the absence of judges.

Addressing the lawyers convention Jahangir said, “We are always committed to the cause of law and justice and work for principles, so we strongly support the lawyers of Swat. If their demands are not fulfilled, the strike will be extended throughout the country.”

Regarding alleged extra-judicial punishments by the military in Swat, she said, “We are against extra-judicial killings in any part of the country. Thousands of people arrested by the Army should be presented in the regular courts for trials as this is their genuine right,” adding, “No extra judicial killings will be tolerated. Military courts are not acceptable. Arresting and investigating civilians and innocent people is not the Army’s job.”

“I will especially meet with the chief justice in the case of Darul Qaza and will stress on the appointment of judges here so that the people of Malakand Division can get justice in their own area,” she vowed.

Afridi, Pakistan Bar Association Vice Chairman, while addressing the convention said, “If 150,000 lawyers of the country and 25,000 of K-P can call someone a hero after a two-year struggle, they can bring him down too. We openly announce here that we can fight against the chief justice and other judges too.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2011.