KARACHI - People want immediate justice and it can only be ensured when the number of judges in Karachi and Lahore is increased, said a former Supreme Court judge.
“As many as 100,000 cases are lying pending with lower courts that can be decided by increasing the number of judges,” said Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid who is also Dean, Faculty of Legal Affairs, Hamdard University. He was addressing a meeting of Shura Hamdard Karachi chapter. “As many 12 judges out of 40 and 26 out of 60 are working respectively in Karachi and Lahore unless the number of judges is increased early justice could not be ensured.”
The meeting was presided over by the former chief justice of Federal Shariat Court, Haziqul Khairi. He was of the view that the selection of judges should be made according to laid down procedure and they be appointed at the places of which they had previous experience in order to acquire better results.
He said when he was the chief justice of Sindh High Court, he requested the then chief minister of Sindh, Abdullah Shah to appoint more 150 judges in 22 districts of Sindh in order to expedite justice. “But he refused and said, Not to speak of judges, I cannot give you even a peon because of paucity of fund,” he mentioned. “There is no deficiency of fund but will power on the part of government,” he added. To a question, he said that comparatively Karachi was in better position than Lahore in dispensing justice as dates in magistrate courts in Karachi are given after 20/21 days while in Lahore up to 3 to 4 months and often 8 to 9 months.
“Prosecutors are not trained properly in our country and lack of proper matter in record provides an opportunity to the accused to get free while the victim is deprived of justice,” he maintained. To another question, he said when judiciary started bringing change in socio-economic condition of the country it is called judicial activism. However, it was not the job of judiciary to fix prices of sugar, but it could ask the government officials to control the prices, he added. He said that the ombudsman checked the maladministration.  
“There is a judicial ombudsman in Norway, who has authority to punish the culprits. This system should be introduced in Pakistan,” he suggested. Speaking on the occasion, Justice (r) Haziqul Khairi said that an ombudsman checks the maladministration, but everything came in his court. When he was Sindh Ombudsman the case of missing persons came before his court and he recovered those missing persons. But the I. G. Police complained governor against his decision and the governor set aside his decision, he said.
Rangers’ deployment help reduces crime KIA: The law and order situation in Korangi Industrial Area has been improved significantly due to the deployment of Sindh Rangers and major crimes have been prevented by 80 per cent. This was stated by Chairman Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) Ehtesham Uddin in a meeting with Sindh Rangers’ senior officers at KATI premises on Friday morning at KATI premises. Brig Javed, Lt. Col Raja Sabir and Lt. Col Aftab, President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals forum, Mian Zahid Hussain, Chairman KATI law and Order Committee Nadeem Khan, Vice Chairman SM Farhad and Niaz Ahmed were also present.
Ehtisham said that government’s decision to deploy rangers in industrial areas was quite justified and incidences of kidnapping for ransom, armed robberies and extortion have decreased considerably. Brig Javed said that preventing kidnapping for ransom, dacoities and bhatta crimes is the duty of rangers are trying to perform their duties efficiently. He however said that controlling street crimes of the job of local; police. KATI chief pointed out that Rangers Cell which was recently established at KATI is performing its duties satisfactorily. Mian Zahid Hussain said on this occasion that rangers have played a great role in crime prevention in industrial zones. He said that for the sake of industrial peace Rangers’ deployment in industrial zones is vital.