ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said that speedy dispensation of justice to citizens is the foremost priority of the PPP government. The President was talking to a 24-member Frontier Bar Council which called on him here late Monday night.

The President urged the lawyers community to gear up their efforts to meet the litigants’ expectations.

He said that government being aware of the problems of the lawyers’ community is taking all possible measures to address them.

President Zardari said that the lawyers’ community has always been in the forefront in the fight for democracy, establishing rule of law in the country, constitutionalism and independence of judiciary.

Pakistan People’s Party acknowledges their critical and important role and would facilitate lawyers community in every possible manner so that the goal of easy dispensation of justice to the ordinary citizen could be accomplished, the President said.

The lawyers demanded role of Bar Councils in appointment of judges through Parliamentary Committee comprising of members from both the government and the opposition, strict adherence to the principle of seniority in the higher judiciary including Supreme Court, appointment of senior lawyers in Supreme Court and women as judges in the superior judiciary in line with the policy of the government.

The meeting was also attended by President Peoples Lawyers Forum Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa, President Frontier PLF Barrister Masood Kousar, General Secretary PLF Ilyas Khan, Information Secretary PLF Abdullah Malik and the President Punjab PLF Sardar Khurram Latif Khan Khosa.

Ahmed Farooq Khattak, Vice Chairman Frontier Bar Council also put forth various demands of the lawyers community including housing schemes, free medical facilities, establishing a medical dispensary in Peshawar High Court with provision of free medicines.