MULTAN, June 24: Expressing sympathy with families affected by rains in Karachi, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry called for a probe to ascertain why the rains wrought so much devastation and claimed the lives of so many people.

“The apex court has already taken notice in a similar case before,” he said while addressing a large gathering of lawyers on Sunday night.

He had arrived here after a 36-hour-journey from Lahore.

Throughout his 350-kilometre journey, the CJ’s motorcade received unprecedented welcome in all urban and rural areas along the G.T. Road.

After entering Multan, it took the CJ’s motorcade over four hours to reach the bar premises because of the presence of a large number of political workers and people to welcome him.

He was welcomed with the same enthusiasm in Okara and Sahiwal where his caravan moved at snail’s pace because of people gathered around his vehicle.

Thanking lawyers and people for the warm reception, the Chief Justice said that while he had no concern whatsoever with politics, he was thankful for the gesture of political workers who received him holding flags of their parties.

Four judges of the LHC Multan and Bahawalpur benches, Justice Mian Hamid Farooq (senior judge), Justice Jahangir Arshad, Justice Muhammad Khalid Alvi, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, and some judges of the lower judiciary, also attended the function. The CJP acknowledged their presence in Seraiki.

The written part of his speech concentrated on public interest litigation.

He said that by taking up such cases, courts could win public support and confidence.

He said the public interest litigation was being practised all over the world. In Pakistan, he said, Articles 199 and 184(3) of the Constitution authorised the apex court to take notice of violation of basic human rights and take action.He said the judiciary should be ready to embrace changes in social circumstances.

He said a large number of people could not approach the courts either because of ignorance or lack of resources. He said it was the duty of lawyers to inform the people about how they could seek legal relief.

Addressing the Sahiwal bar on early Sunday morning, he said the judiciary, executive and legislature should play their due roles and should not encroach on each other’s sphere of influence.

Lawyers from Attock, Chakwal, Smundari, Jarranwala, Kharian, Gujranwala, Deepalpur, Pakpattan, Arifwala, Daska, Bahawalnagar, Lahore and parts of Blochistan also attended the gathering.

The motorcade of the Chief Justice arrived in Khanewal at 11am after being warmly welcomed at Cheechawatni and Mian Channu.