PESHAWAR, March 31: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Saturday said no one was above the law and the judiciary would foil any attempt of misadventure.

“Islam has emphasised on building a society where no one is above the law. Social or economic status has never been of any consideration in administration of justice,” he told lawyers during a Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) function here.

The CJP said equality of people before the law was an essential prerequisite for imparting of justice, while lawyers had to play a significant role in administration of justice. He praised people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for bravely fighting the battle of Pakistan’s survival and said they continued with the fight despite rendering great sacrifices.

“People here are civilized and believe in the rule of law. There is wrong perception about them that they believe i terrorism,” he said.

The CJP said judges had always welcomed and acted upon the sagacious thoughts of their friends to ensure administration of justice to people. He said the reins of the rule of law and administration of justice were controlled by the Islamic principles based on equality.

The CJP lauded the performance of the lower courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said Justice Yahya Afridi of PHC gave a presentation during the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) meeting highlighting the devotion and hard work of the lower court judges.

The CJP said dispensing justice was a divine job and without lawyers’ cooperation and assistance, it couldn’t happen. He further said the lawyers’ struggle kept traditional values alive and strengthened judicial institutions.

“The lawyers not only have to play professional role but also to perform their duty towards the society so as to craft a culture of the rule of law, which is a basis for democracy,” he said.

Later, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan told participants that the biggest issue the judiciary was confronted with was that of the missing persons and so far due to its efforts, around 900 of such persons had been shifted to the internment centres notified by the government, while 67 had been recovered.

“We don’t want to play undue role for the release of such persons but want that in whose custody they are they should be notified and dealt with in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said.

The PHC CJ thanked the CJP for showing solidarity with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa people and holding the NJPMC meeting in Peshawar, where all chief justices of the country’s superior courts were in attendance.

He said after he assumed the charge a couple of months ago, construction of around nine judicial complexes was included in the annual development programme, while the government announced a grant of Rs500 million for construction of Circuit Bench in Bannu and additional grant of Rs120 million for Darul Qaza, an appellate bench of PHC, in Swat.

The CJ said on behalf of lawyers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he assured the CJP that they would continue their support to his efforts for strengthening the judiciary.

The chief justices of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court, Federal Shariat Court, Balochistan High Court, Sindh High Court, Lahore High Court, Islamabad High Court, AJK High Court and Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court, and the Supreme Court and PHC judges were also in attendance.

It was the CJP’s fifth address to PHCBA. Last time, he was on the same premises in May 2008 after his deposition along with several other judges by the then military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf.

During the CJP visit, members of Fata Lawyers Forum also showed up to demand extension of the superior courts’ jurisdiction to Fata, introduction of ‘real’ reforms in FCR and re-constitution of FCR Tribunal.