Under constitutional dispensation: democratic set-up ensures good governance: CJP

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said that whenever a country is ruled by the chosen representatives under the dispensation of constitution, the system of good governance is strengthened.
Delivering his keynote address at the inaugural session of the 17th Commonwealth Law Conference in Hyderabad, India on Sunday, he said the existence of an independent judiciary was all the more necessary for the enforcement of fundamental rights, trade and commercial activities in accordance with law and Constitution.
Dilating upon the theme of conference "Emerging economies and the rule of law: opportunities and challenges," he referred to the topic of rule of law and said it bore a substantial impact on the economic development across the globe.
"The judiciary of Pakistan has passed through different phases where efforts by adopting unconstitutional measures had been made, but the judiciary ensured its independence in all the circumstances because it is of the opinion that when there is constitutionalism and rule of law, it guarantees a democratic system in the country instead of military rule," a press release received here quoted him as saying.
He said strong constitutional and legal framework was all the more necessary to establish rule of law. The Constitution of a state being the supreme law kept every organ of the state autonomous and independent, yet subject to certain limitations and restrictions, but at the same time, ensures supremacy of the law, which was essential for economic development of a country.
Referring to 3rd November 2007 steps, he said, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the judiciary which had achieved independence by covering some distance, asserted itself and the Supreme Court declared those measures as unconstitutional and illegal in its landmark order on the same day.
The superior judiciary, sacked by adopting unconstitutional devices, was ultimately restored and the democratic government did not validate or condone the acts and actions taken by the military ruler, he added.
The Chief Justice said the constitutionalism and rule of law guaranteed enforcement of human rights and thus helped flourish industrial and commercial activities.
"Rule of law and equality before law are the hallmark of Islamic thought and philosophy, which derives its authority from the holy Qura'an and traditions of the Prophet," he added.
After alluding to the history of Rule of Law, he said this concept was further developed by the International Commission of Jurists, known as Delhi Declaration, 1959 and according to it this formulation, it implied that the functions of the government in a free society should be so exercised as to create conditions in which the dignity of man as an individual was upheld.
About Pakistan Constitution and role of judiciary, he said, it had given necessary powers to the Supreme Court to protect the fundamental rights. The court took umpteen suo motu notices in ordinary cases and some various high profile cases of human right violations including the famous case of the Darshan Mashi, the system of bonded-labour, the Kite-flying case, the New Murree Project and the illegal allotment of space for the fast food outlet in a public park at Islamabad, National Reconciliation Ordinance and Pakistan Steel Mills etc, he added.