KATHMANDU: Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma today raised serious doubts about timely promulgation of the constitution.

Stating that there is a growing apprehension about the promulgation of the Constitution, Sharma urged the civil society to put pressure on the political parties to write the constitution on the stipulated time frame.

The Chief Justice also warned that if the Constitution was not promulgated on time, the nation would face serious political and constitutional crises.

"Time is ripe for pressuring the political parties from all quarters to promulgate the constitution on time," Sharma said, adding, “Intense pressure is needed on the politicians to draft the constitution on time.”

The Chief Justice was speaking at a programme organised by Lawyers' Club to award Shankar Lal Kedia Memorial Prize worth Rs 51,000 to late SC justice and chairman of the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee Laxman Prasad Aryal for his contribution in the field of law and justice.

On the occasion, Sharma vowed to protect the judicial independence and freedom of press in the new constitution. "If there is no independent judiciary and free press, there shall not be any other freedom for the public," he added. "Unless we protect the independence of the judiciary and freedom of press, the rights of the public cannot be protected," the CJ added.

Speaking on the same occasion, Nepal Bar Association president Prem Bahadur Khadka urged the judges and lawyers to protect the independence of the judiciary.