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Former Pak chief justice attacks military rule

Pakistan's former chief justice Saiduz Zaman Siddiqui has lamented the fact that the country is passing through "totalitarian military rule" in which the constitution stands suspended.

"The Sindh High Court Bar Association is celebrating its golden jubilee at a time when the country is off the democratic rails under a totalitarian military regime," he said.

Siddiqui was delivering the presidential address at the golden jubilee celebration dinner of the SHCBA in Karachi, the Online news agency reported.

The former chief justice said Pakistanis had shown a lack of commitment to uphold and defend the dignity and supremacy of their constitution.

He said the present situation should be a cause for concern to the legal community in general and to the association in particular, which has had the distinction of leading many movements and struggles in the past against despotic rulers.

"The only certainty in an absolute system is the certainty of absolute abuse," he said. "Injustice and criminality are inherent in a system of totalitarian dictatorship."

Siddiqui said the SHCBA as a representative body of practising lawyers had a great responsibility. "The SHBCA not only protects the legitimate interest of its members, but also operates as a watchdog body to protect the rights of citizens guaranteed under the constitution and ensure the rule of law.

"Pakistanis are considered incapable of managing their affairs according to democratic norms, an uncharitable reflection on the genius of a people who 54 years ago won their freedom and homeland through a constitutional and democratic struggle."

He said that for a federation to remain in place it was necessary for the people in the federating units to have a feeling of participation in national affairs, which was possible only by following the rule of governance provided in the consensus constitution of 1973.

Any change or deviation needs a fresh mandate from the people of Pakistan. Attempts to bypass the will of the political sovereign could have serious implications for the nation, he observed.

Regarding Pakistan's economic turmoil, Siddiqui said the short-sighted policies of past and present rulers in obtaining loans from international agencies to meet debt commitments had plunged the country deeper into debt.

Lack of employment opportunities for educated youth and absence of economic activity had resulted in the law-and-order situation worsening.

Earlier, SHCBA president Rasheed A Rizvi, in his welcome address, said Pakistan was going through a crucial period when its very survival as a viable entity was at stake.

He said a policy of retrenchment was being practised in the guise of privatisation and all trade union activities were being curtailed and new appointments were being offered on a contract basis.

He also strongly condemned moves by the administration to hold the judiciary responsible for an increase in the crime rate.

Indo-Asian News Service

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