The Prime Minister said the democratic government could not even think of disgracing the judiciary. He said strengthening the institutions would strengthen the country. Prime Minister Ashraf said the country's real enemies were extremists and terrorists that were taking the way of the lives of the country's people. He said issuing of edicts by terrorists declaring the people as non Muslim and for casting them to heaven or hell, was a mockery of Islam.
"We have to tackle this menace collectively and we must win", he added. The Prime Minister dispelled the impression that there were any differences between the government and the judiciary or any other state institution. He said ridiculing any state institution meant ridiculing Pakistan and added that all needed to work with the objective of serving Pakistan. "Being the prime minister, I have to respect the courts because it is the place where all heads bow down as justice is dispensed here," he said.
He said democracy was the only system of governance that reflected the aspirations of people. He said whenever dictators took over in violation of the Constitution and against the will of people, the people in the country suffered.
The Prime Minister urged the lawyers to support the philosophy of democracy which was a guarantee to the country's uplift. He also asked them to diffuse the false impression of differences between the government and the judiciary. He appreciated the SCBA for following democratic norms while conducting their elections and accepting the results with the democratic spirit.
He recalled that Pakistan People's Party strongly supported the lawyers' cause and their struggle for restoration of judges. He mentioned that he himself being the co-ordinator of Rawalpindi division at that time, galvanised the support of his party workers to lawyers' movement. The Prime Minister said that institutions in the country were passing through an evolutionary stage and added that hopefully things would settle over a period of time.
He announced a grant of Rs 75 million for the building of SCBA and said the government would also provide financial support to lawyers in other areas. He also announced approval in principle of a housing society for the lawyers. President SCBA Muhammad Yaseen Azad in his welcome address said the Supreme Court Bar Association fully supported the sovereignty of state institutions.
He said the lawyers through their long struggle had been successful in restoration of judiciary in the country. He said an independent judiciary was must for the country's progress and added that lawyers would continue contributing towards the upholding of judiciary in the country. Attorney General Irfan Qadir and a large number of senior advocates were present on the occasion.