Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan’s call for stronger Pakistan-AJK judicial and legal ties:
rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR ( AJK): Sept 30: Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Supreme Court Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan on Wednesday said the people and judiciary of AJK had always received immense respect and affection from bar associations and lawyers across Pakistan, describing the bond between Pakistan and Kashmir as “indelible.”
Our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports thar while addressing a reception hosted in his honour by the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP), in the federal metroplos today, he said, “We are Pakistanis first and then Kashmiris,” adding that the slogan of late Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani, “We are Pakistanis, Pakistan is ours,” reflected the sentiments of the Kashmiri people.
Senior AJK Supreme Court Judge Justice Raza Ali Khan and Justice Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry also attended the reception, along with senior lawyers and office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and AJK. At the conclusion, shields were presented to the visiting judges, while certificates were also distributed among newly enrolled lawyers of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan continued that Pakistan’s judiciary and legal fraternity had played a fundamental role in the establishment and strengthening of the judicial system in AJK. He said his focus after assuming office as Chief Justice had remained on improving the judicial system and introducing institutional reforms, with the AJK Supreme Court now deciding cases from 2025-26 through the collective efforts of its judges and staff.
He said the relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir had deep historical roots, recalling that the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference had passed the Resolution for Accession to Pakistan on July 19, 1947, before Pakistan came into existence on August 14, 1947. He said the Kashmiri people continued their struggle for the right to self-determination and cited the sacrifices of Kashmiris as a manifestation of their attachment to Pakistan.
The Chief Justice, who is a life member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, recalled his long association with the legal fraternity in Pakistan and thanked senior lawyers, including SCBAP President Haroon Rasheed and Ahsan Bhoon, for the respect and affection extended to him over the years. He expressed the desire for legal reforms enabling lawyers of the Supreme Court and high courts of Pakistan to appear before the superior courts of AJK as well.
He said cooperation between the judiciary and lawyers was indispensable for the administration of justice and supremacy of law. He also expressed the desire to hold a similar ceremony in Mirpur to further strengthen professional links between the legal communities of Pakistan and AJK.
Ahsan Bhoon, Member Pakistan Bar Council and Judicial Commission of Pakistan, welcomed the AJK Chief Justice and judges, saying their visit was an honour for the SCBAP. He highlighted the longstanding professional ties between the legal communities of Pakistan and AJK and called for further strengthening them.
SCBAP President Haroon Rasheed also welcomed Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan and appreciated his longstanding association with the bar. He said mutual respect and cooperation between judges and lawyers were essential for effective dispensation of justice, adding that the Chief Justice remained a lifetime member of the association.
The AJK judges were also presented with Sindhi ajraks and caps.
