Chief Justice of Pakistan  Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday promised to protect  ‘democracy’ in the country, observing that they would be answerable to the people if they failed to live up to their commitment.

“We’ll not let democracy be destroyed. This is our promise,” said the country’s top judge while addressing a seminar titled “Bench & bar are two wheels of same chariot,” held under the aegis of Lahore High Court Bar Association at Al-Hamra Hall here on Saturday.

“You can hold me answerable if I turn back,”   the CJP remarked.       

The CJP addressed the gathering a few hours before disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed a well-attended public meeting in Haripur.

CJP said that the judiciary was independent and everyone should be proud of it. The judiciary, he said, never took into account what other people say.  

“When state becomes powerful it starts interfering into the rights of the people and there is only one institution left which is judiciary that protects peoples’ rights,” the Chief Justice remarked.

He pointed out the challenges that come in the nations’ ways, saying that they should not be pessimistic about the challenges.

“I confess that the challenges are multiples but don’t be pessimistic,” the CJP remarked.

He was all praise for the judges who are being consistently attacked by the PML-N leaders for their verdict against the three-time premier. These judges, the CJP mentioned in his address for their meritorious services including senior puisne judge Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmad, Justice Ejaz Afzal and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed.

“Supreme Court is incomplete without Justice Asif Saeed Khosa,” the CJP said while mentioning other judges.

He remarked “captain of the team always depends upon his entire team,”.  He further remarked that “People criticize the judiciary but we seldom try them,”. He designated Justice Khosa as the head of the bench hearing Nehal Hashmi’s case and assured of hearing soon. Justice Ejaz Afzal and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed would also be the part of the bench, he added.  

However, he asked the judges of the lower judiciary that they should render judgments under the law and by applying full judicial mind.

“Becoming judge is not a paid vacation, those who think so should think again. Every judge is responsible to deliver justice under the law and not as per their own wishes,” the Chief Justice remarked. He said that they were answerable for the work they do.

He suggested that education, leadership and judicial system always played impressive role in making nations in the world’s history. “Fair and honest leadership can steer the nations through difficult times and change the peoples’ fate, the CJP said.

About relation of the bench and the bar, Justice Nisar said both were indispensable to each other’s integrity and making either of the two disables makes the whole institution disable. He said provision of justice was the duty of the judges.

The CJP regretted that the judges faced problems in getting pension as they got retired.  He said that they needed ‘sifarish’ to draw pension from the institution after serving the nation whole their lives.

“It’s injustice as many don’t get pension,” he remarked. “Society can’t live with injustice prevailing in it,” he remarked.

He urged the audience to give him a year of uprightness in their actions, saying that “develop uprightness in your life and it will become your habit which you will like,”. We have to deliver justice with patience and perseverance and we need education, true leadership and strong judicial system,” CJP said.

Addressing the newly elected President of Lahore Bar Association Malik Muhammad Arshad, the CJP congratulated him and said that he might be popular leader as he received huge applause when his name was pronounced. But urged him and office bearers of other bar associations that they should minimize booking of the cases and should not go in groups to the courts.

He said he wanted to know that in how many cases the stay was granted by civil judges due to pressure and influence of the bars.

“I’m not criticizing the profession. Let me explain. You should minimize your appearance in cases before the courts,” CJP Nisar said.

He also directed all the judges of the lower judiciary that they should give him report that how many cases were stayed in such a way. “I’ll personally monitor it,” he said.

He said he was not humiliating the lawyers; it was the thing about how the office bearers earned money, he added. At the end of his speech, the Chief Justice recited some couplets he had received in a message from his fellow judge Justice Omar Ata Bandial, showing love for the country.

The Lahore High Court judges, representative of Punjab and Pakistan Bar Council, office bearers of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore Bar Association and huge number of lawyers were present there.