ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Asma Jahangir, a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said on Friday that she did not view the judiciary as independent because it could not pass a judgment against those who actually held power.

Speaking at a reception held in her honour by the Islamabad High Court Bar Association here, she said that in fact it was not the Pakistan People`s Party, but the army chief, Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, who was running the show.

`It (the judiciary) passes adverse orders against the political government, but it could not pass a judgment against those who really run the government,` she said.

She alleged the judiciary was media driven because most of the decisions werebeing made to attract the attention of media.

Ms Jahangir, who has decided to defend former ambassador Husain Haqqani in the Supreme Court in the memogate case, said there was a `liaison between the media and judiciary`.

She said the judiciary could only implement its decisions once it eliminated sentiments of discrimination from all its decisions and it was the only way to create a moral authority.

Ms Jahangir suggested some reforms in the constitutions of bar associations and bar councils.

The tenure of an elected body of bar association should be raised from one year to two years and it should be reduced from five years to three years for the bar councils, she suggested.