SHIKARPUR/SUKKUR, June 19: Two committees have been constituted to look into allegations of corruption and irregularities against judges and judicial officers. More than 20 judges and judicial magistrates have been suspended.

This was stated by Sindh High Court Chief Justice Mushir Alam while speaking to the media and members of the Shikarpur and Jacobabad bar associations during his visit to the cities on Wednesday.

“No one is above the law. If a judge is found involved in wrongdoing, action will definitely be taken against him according to the law. The judiciary is striving hard for the supremacy of law and the constitution and to achieve the goal all possible steps will be taken,” the chief justice remarked.

Addressing members of the Jacobabad Bar Association on the premises of the local sessions court, the chief justice said that the all cases being tried in various courts in the province would be decided without any fear and in a transparent manner. He called for establishment of a human rights cell by activating bar councils.

“Directives have been issued to sessions judges for action on public complaints lodge with the proposed cell,” he said.

Referring to the complaints about criminal activities involving jail inmates, the chief justice observed that this happened due to negligence of the jail administration concerned. “Jail administrations have been given strict directives to set up a ‘reforms cell’ at each prison,” he said.

He warned that if jail inmates were found possessing cellphones and other articles they were not supposed to keep, strict action should be taken against them. He said Justice Sajjad Ali Shah would pay surprise visits to prisons to check such violation of jail rules.

Chief Justice Alam was of the view that unless competent people were posted at appropriate places, lawlessness would turn worse.

“Now when a new government is in place, it should set right the wrongs of the past,” he said, adding that the new government was supposed to come out with better performance and uphold the supremacy of the law.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Faisal Arab, Jacobabad district and sessions judge Amjad Ali Bhoyo, local bar association president Anwer Ali Jakhrani and general secretary Zafar Khalil Jakhrani and a large number of lawyers were present.

The chief justice also spoke at a reception hosted in his honour by the Sukkur Bar Association on Tuesday evening.

He said corruption in courts had been curtailed to a great extent, and advised lawyers to identify all such instances if they came across them.

He said 42 new judges had been posted in the Sukkur region to overcome a shortage while 20 more judges were under training and would be posted soon. Sukkur District Bar Association president Hadi Bukhsh Bhat also spoke.

Lauding the lawyer fraternity’s contribution towards the independence of the judiciary, the chief justice hoped that lawyers would continue to assist courts in dispensing justice to people. He asked them to discharge their duties honestly in the larger interest of justice.

Chief Justice Alam also visited the Shikarpur District Jail and discussed various issues with the administration.