Asma Jahangir says Pakistan's judiciary not independent as yet

Lahore, Feb 11(ANI): Pakistan's judiciary is not "independent as yet" as people are still not getting justice, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Asma Jahangir has stated.

"I do not believe the judiciary is independent as yet," The Nation quoted Asma, as saying, while addressing a press conference in Lahore.

"The independence of the Bench and the Bar means ensuring justice to the people, and that end has yet to be achieved," she added.

Asma said that she firmly believed in democracy but unluckily the so-called democracy, bitter judiciary and oppression have become "our destiny."

Despite all that, "if we shrugged off the democracy, the emerging situation would push us back by 50 years," she added.

To a question on double murder-accused US diplomat Raymond Davis, the SCBA president maintained what the Pakistan government has been saying, that the law should take its course on the matter.

She said that the judicial system needs to be reformed in order to ensure timely justice to the masses, and criticised the practice of taking adjournments on the part of the lawyers. (ANI)