Minister awards millions in grants to district, high court bar associations
Govt respects judiciary, Khursheed Shah tells lawyers.
SUKKUR:
Democracy guarantees smooth functioning of state institutions and the people’s voice is heard through their elected representatives in the parliament, said federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the district bar’s new building on the premises of district and sessions court Sukkur. He announced a grant of Rs10 million for the extension of the district bar building, Rs7.50 million for the high court bar building, and Rs1 million for the Rohri bar association.
Shah recalled the sacrifices made by the legal fraternity during every dictatorship in the country, but added that some lawyers and judges had sided with dictators for their own interest. “We are against conflict between institutions and also respect the judiciary,” said Shah, before arguing that confrontation between institutions would not only affect the government, but also the state. “We accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict and went to the parliament [to vote in a] new prime minister,” said Shah, while referring to the apex court’s decision to disqualify Yousaf Raza Gilani from premiership in a contempt of court case.
The federal minister credited the government for granting the provinces more autonomy and referred to the passage of multiple constitutional amendments and the National Finance Commission award. “If these rights were given to [provinces] in 1970, then Bangladesh wouldn’t have emerged on the world map.” Shah also appeared upbeat about the present government’s economic performance. “Our remittances stood at $5 billion in 2008, but have have increased to $12 billion today. We faced two devastating floods and [acts of] terrorism.”
Sukkur district bar association president Hadi Bux Bhatt and Sukkur high court bar association president Abdul Rehman Farooq Pirzada also spoke on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2012.
Democracy guarantees smooth functioning of state institutions and the people’s voice is heard through their elected representatives in the parliament, said federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the district bar’s new building on the premises of district and sessions court Sukkur. He announced a grant of Rs10 million for the extension of the district bar building, Rs7.50 million for the high court bar building, and Rs1 million for the Rohri bar association.
Shah recalled the sacrifices made by the legal fraternity during every dictatorship in the country, but added that some lawyers and judges had sided with dictators for their own interest. “We are against conflict between institutions and also respect the judiciary,” said Shah, before arguing that confrontation between institutions would not only affect the government, but also the state. “We accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict and went to the parliament [to vote in a] new prime minister,” said Shah, while referring to the apex court’s decision to disqualify Yousaf Raza Gilani from premiership in a contempt of court case.
The federal minister credited the government for granting the provinces more autonomy and referred to the passage of multiple constitutional amendments and the National Finance Commission award. “If these rights were given to [provinces] in 1970, then Bangladesh wouldn’t have emerged on the world map.” Shah also appeared upbeat about the present government’s economic performance. “Our remittances stood at $5 billion in 2008, but have have increased to $12 billion today. We faced two devastating floods and [acts of] terrorism.”
Sukkur district bar association president Hadi Bux Bhatt and Sukkur high court bar association president Abdul Rehman Farooq Pirzada also spoke on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2012.