QUETTA: Advocate Fatima Nazar, president of the Young Lawyers Forum for Judicial Reforms’ Balochistan chapter, urged the judiciary on Tuesday to adopt the tradition of strict internal accountability to ensure the timely provision of justice.

Speaking at a press conference along with other female lawyers, Ms Nazar acknowledged the judiciary as a crucial state pillar and pointed out that inadequacies in the judicial system had eroded public trust. She cited delays as a significant obstacle to justice.

“To enhance Pakistan’s judicial system, we need comprehensive reforms. The country cannot progress without a robust justice system. Currently, Pakistan ranks 142nd globally in terms of justice, and the reputation of our institutions is marred by corruption,” she explained. She insisted her organisation is dedicated to enhancing the justice system. Its goals include ensuring justice provision, eliminating double standards, preventing corruption, forgery, and misuse of authority, and holding judges accountable.

Stressing that the forum’s mission was to improve the judicial system in Balochistan, she urged lawyers to join the platform to improve the credibility of the judiciary and provide quick and affordable justice to the public. She said the Young Lawyers Forum for Judicial Reforms was established to recommend and implement improvements in the justice system.

She said the forum aimed to propose new laws, enforce existing ones, organise annual internships for new lawyers and provide free legal services to the underprivileged, particularly women. It also plans to assist innocent prisoners who are unable to pay minor fines. This initiative will start from Mach Jail.

Ms Nazar stressed that the forum was non-political and non-linguistic, solely focused on improving the justice system. They support the rules of the Bar Council of Pakistan and provincial bar councils, maintaining complete impartiality in elections.

In response to a question, she said that all lawyers’ degrees are equal, and their only aim is to play their part in delivering justice to the public.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2024