LAHORE – Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani chaired a high-level meeting of the National Judicial Policymaking Committee on Saturday and said that it is the need of time to improvise the laws pertaining to the protection of minorities.
Addressing the session, Justice Jillani welcomed the newly-inducted members of the committee and reviewed the recommendations made during the last judicial conference. He emphasised on the importance of introducing and implementing the laws to protect the religious minorities.
Justice Jillani shared the key issues with the policymaking committee members that were considered during the judicial conference. On this occasion, he also told the committee about the introduction of information technology in the judicial system with the help of which the record pertaining to the court proceedings will be archived along with the digital library.
The chief justice urged that the year 2014 should be declared as the year of religious harmony and tolerance which has been approved by the committee. He said that Pakistan was passing through crucial stage of history and confronting with various problems including extremism and intolerance in the society. By promoting tolerance and enforcing rights of the citizens, a harmonious society can be established, he said.
During discussion, the chief justice took serious note of delay in construction of district courts and model jail for Islamabad and observed that the recent suicide attack on district court, wherein precious lives of litigants, lawyers and judicial officer were lost, has prompted the early completion of the projects to provide safe and peaceful environment to the litigants to pursue their cases before courts.
The meeting was attended by Chief Justice of Federal Shariat Court Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan, Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Justice Maqbool Baqar, and Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel.
Besides, Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi, Chief Justice of Azad Jammu Kashmir Justice Mohammad Azam Khan, Chief Judge of Supreme Appellate Court of Gilgit Baltistan Justice Rana Muhammad Arshad Khan and Chief Judge of Chief Court of Gilgit Baltistan Justice Sahib Khan also attended the meeting.