ISLAMABAD - Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has said that judiciary being one of the important pillars of the state is mandated to ensure enforcement of the fundamental rights.

He said that the Supreme Court and other superior courts are guardians of these fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan and they are duty-bound to enforce these rights. He further said that all the courts civil, high courts or the Supreme Court should have one trait, which is to dispense justice.

This he said while talking to the participants of 25th anniversary of the adaptation of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, International Conference and VIII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (STILF) from 15th to 19th May 2018 at St. Petersburg Russian Federation.

According to a press statement, the chief justice further said that in Pakistan there are two basic provisions of law, which cater for the enforcement of the fundamental rights.

Article 199 of the Constitution confers upon high courts in four provinces with the powers of writ jurisdiction, he stated, adding the high courts have the special jurisdiction to enforce the fundamental rights.

“Another provision in Constitution of Pakistan says that if there is breach of fundamental right or public importance leaving upon any application having been made by anybody in the public interest litigation, any representative without their locus standi can approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the enforcement of the fundamental rights for the others and this exercise is called a suo motu jurisdiction,” he added.

“There are so many cases in which the Supreme Court has recently taken suo motu jurisdiction and effective orders have been passed for the people of the Pakistan, especially the downtrodden segment of the society that does not have the means to approach the court of law,” it added. He emphasised that there should be competent and capable judges in the courts with the authority to decide cases independently as per oath of a judge and to enforce fundamental rights of people.