ISLAMABAD          -       Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said on Saturday that the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) incident–where lawyers ransacked the hospital on December 11 - was a regrettable and condemnable act, and those who belonged to the respectable profession should hold themselves accountable.

“This is also an opportunity for introspection and self-accountability,” the Chief Justice maintained.

Addressing a national conference, CJP Khosa said that the attack at the PIC should not have happened. However, he refrained from going into details of the incident, stating that it was sub-judice.

Justice Khosa expressed sympathy towards the victims and the affected families. “Both lawyers and doctors belong to respectable professions, and people should be mindful of the values attached to these professions,” he added.

He expressed the hope that “better sense will prevail” not just in this particular incident and in its aftermath, but in future as well.

On the other hand, he said that model courts were doing a remarkable job. “They have ensured the provision of speedy justice to people, as there is little break between the hearings of a case and the verdicts are announced in a shortest possible time,” he said, adding that there was a growing tendency in people to turn to model courts for seeking justice.

He went on to say the number of pending cases had dropped by 25 percent, while no complaint had been received about the procedure of these courts.

Claiming he had made it easier for the common man to seek justice during his tenure, CJP Khosa said, “No case has been adjourned in my bench, and that good work must be encouraged.” “Unnecessary criticism surely discourages a person, but enthusiasts never let it dampen their spirits,” the CJP said, adding that only those who were willing to take risks could change the system.