Summary CJP Yahya Afridi called the district judiciary the backbone of Pakistan’s justice system, stressing stronger institutions, better facilities and judicial independence.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Saturday called for strengthening the district judiciary, describing it as the “backbone” of the country’s justice system and the first point of contact with state institutions for most citizens.
Addressing a conference in Islamabad, CJP Afridi said public confidence in the judiciary was neither inherited nor proclaimed, but earned through integrity, competence, fairness, compassion and institutions that empowered judges to perform their duties with excellence.
Recalling his visits to judicial posts in remote areas after assuming office, the chief justice said he had visited Chitral, Gwadar, Sadiqabad, Bahawalnagar and Nagarparkar, where he realised there was a disconnect between the district judiciary and the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC).
The NJPMC was established under an ordinance in 2002 to coordinate and harmonise judicial policy within the court system in coordination with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
CJP Afridi said the NJPMC had the authority to formulate policies and approve projects originating from the district judiciary and financed through the Access to Justice Fund.
He said projects submitted by district courts previously took three to four months to secure approval, while some were never completed due to rising costs.
The chief justice said the NJPMC subsequently decided to appoint additional secretaries for each province to serve as a link between the committee, high courts and district judiciary. A 21-day timeline was also set for approval of projects and disbursement of funds under the Access to Justice Fund.
CJP Afridi said the district judiciary had been asked to submit a “wishlist” of its most pressing needs, which identified four priorities: uninterrupted electricity, internet connectivity, essential facilities for women and clean water.
He said the NJPMC decided to allocate funds for all four projects. According to the chief justice, Rs900 million had been disbursed from the Access to Justice Fund over the previous 20 years, while Rs3.4 billion was released in one year for the four projects.
The CJP said the NJPMC had also taken several steps to improve working conditions and facilities for judicial officers across the country.
He said the committee had introduced changes to the code of conduct for judicial officers and established a procedure to deal with any “extraneous influence”.
Addressing judicial officers, CJP Afridi assured honest judges that they were not alone, while warning that the assurance would not extend to those who themselves sought outside influence.
He said a judicial officer was expected to remain independent and not be approachable by any extraneous influence.
CJP Afridi said all tehsil courts in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad had been solarised. He said Balochistan faced difficulties in transporting solar equipment to remote areas, but the chief justice of the province had assured him that the work would be completed within 30 days.
He said the same facilities should also be available to bar associations, adding that where electricity was available in courts, it should not be restricted to courtrooms but should also be provided to bar associations.
The chief justice also questioned Pakistan’s poor ranking in the Rule of Law Index, describing the country’s ranking as “dismal”.
Referring to his visit to Nagarparkar, he said a court in the remote area had solar power, internet connectivity, a women facilitation centre and clean water, questioning what factors were being considered in the index if such facilities were available in one of Pakistan’s remotest areas.
CJP Afridi said five of the eight pillars assessed by the Rule of Law Index related to the judiciary. He said the NJPMC had decided to provide empirical data on the performance and facilities of the district judiciary.
He said the NJPMC would provide the data to the relevant commission before future rankings were compiled so that conditions on the ground could be properly assessed.
The chief justice also announced commendations for judicial officers who had demonstrated excellence, with recipients nominated by the high courts.
He also paid tribute to Judge Hakeem Kakar, who was martyred in July while travelling to Mastung, saying the most meaningful tribute to him and others like him was to remain steadfast in upholding the rule of law and serving the people of Pakistan.
CJP Afridi urged Rule of Law Index assessors to consider the sacrifices of judicial officers serving in the country’s remotest areas and offered assistance in facilitating visits to such locations.
“I am proud of you, district judiciary,” he said in conclusion.
