KARACHl: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani said on Thursday that almost every state around the globe witnessed a phase of terrorism, but the struggle against it must not go beyond the law.

He stated that a neglect of legal norms in the name of fight against terrorism cannot be justified because respect for rule of law distinguished a civil society from terrorists.

Speaking at an oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) held on the premises of the Sindh High Court on Thursday night, the chief justice said that terrorists acted against the law and the state took action within parameters of the law, but if this principle was disregarded, it would endanger the values of democracy.

The war against terrorism, he said, could not be succeeded unless there was a cultural transformation and the people owned it and extend their support.

The chief justice stressed the legislature to enact appropriate laws to protection people and promote democratic values and said that the executive had to enforce these laws.

Laws were essential, but not sufficient in countering intolerance and fight against it had to begin at home, school and college, he added.

He said that the apex court was cognizant of the crisis and would do its best to ensure that rule of law was established in letter and spirit and one such order was made on the situation of Karachi.

Deploring the law and order situation of Karachi, the chief justice said that around 2,000 people were killed in the preceding year and state of rule of law could be gauged from the fact that as per report half of vehicles being run in the city were without valid papers.

In the face of deteriorating law and order and increasing insecurity, the menace of terrorism had added disturbing dimension, he said, adding that the violence, rooted in political, sectarian and underworld rivalries, had taken many lives and risen in recent months as law-enforcers seemed to be helpless in stemming it.

Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Maqbool Baqar, the president of KBA Salahuddin Ahmed and general secretary Khalid Mumtaz also spoke on the occasion.

Justice Jillani administered the oath of office to the recently-elected cabinet of the KBA.