WASHINGTON: By saying no to
generals Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry elevated
Pakistan’s judiciary from being a rubber stamp to an
independent institution for the first time in the
nation’s history.
These views were expressed by
President Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association,
Ali Ahmad Kurd, at an event organized in his honor
by the Washington Policy Analysis Group at a
Pakistani restaurant in Springfield on Wednesday.
Dr. Manzur Ejaz conducted the proceedings.
Addressing the select gathering,
Ali Ahmad Kurd said Iftikhar Chaudhry did what the
judiciary should have done from the day one of
Pakistan’s independence. He added that the lawyers’
movement and restoration of the judiciary put
Pakistan on a course leading to rule of law.
He paid rich tributes to
Pakistani media, civil society, and common people
for providing support to the lawyers’ movement and
remarked that success was not possible without their
help.
Kurd told the gathering that many
lawyers’ faced difficult times during the two-year
movement but continued to lead the nation with
honesty and devotion.
He mentioned that the lawyers
brought Justice Wajih (retired) in to contest
presidential election so that General Musharraf’s
candidacy could be challenged in the court.
Responding to a question, Kurd
remarked that the entire corruption is at the lower
court level. He added that the lower court judges
act like pharaohs. However, he demanded significant
raise in the salaries of lower court judges as well
as judicial staff so that the menace of corruption
could be harnessed.
Replying to another question, he
regretted that a journalist was beaten up by a few
lawyers in Lahore and explained that the lawyers owe
media a lot as far as the restoration of the
judiciary is concerned. He requested that it should
be viewed as an attempt to drive a wedge into the
relationship of lawyers and journalists.
When asked about the alleged
intervention of General Kiyani in judiciary’s
restoration, Kurd said he was the leader of the
movement at that time and he never spoke with the
army chief. He added that the judiciary was restored
because an overwhelming majority of the people were
ready to participate in that long march.
