World News | Not Bothered by Recent Campaigns Against Judges, Says Pak Chief Justice Bandial
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Pakistan's top judge Umar Ata Bandial on Monday said the Supreme Court judges were not bothered by the social media campaigns or political speeches against them, asserting that they were only doing their duty as the guardians of the Constitution.
Islamabad, Apr 18 (PTI) Pakistan's top judge Umar Ata Bandial on Monday said the Supreme Court judges were not bothered by the social media campaigns or political speeches against them, asserting that they were only doing their duty as the guardians of the Constitution.
Hearing a presidential reference seeking the Supreme Court's interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution of Pakistan, Bandial wondered why the apex court should deal with political matters when its decisions are criticised at political rallies.
"Why should we announce the verdicts when 10-15 thousand people start criticising judicial orders [...] why should the court take part in your political debates?" he asked.
"We expect political leaders to defend judicial orders in public," Bandial remarked, adding that protecting and ensuring the rule of law is the court's responsibility.
Also Read | Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says His ‘Speedy Work’ Will Frighten Imran Khan.
His terse observations come days after former prime minister Imran Khan publicly asked the judiciary to explain why it felt the need to open its doors at midnight on April 9, hours before he was ousted by the Opposition which successfully moved a successful no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly.
Khan, who had lost majority in Parliament, sought to circumvent the no-confidence motion against him by having Parliament dissolved and calling a snap election. However, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Bandial ruled that deputy speaker Qasim Suri's controversial move to reject the no-confidence motion and Pakistan President Arif Alvi's action to dissolve the House breached the Constitution.
In his first public address since becoming the first Pakistani premier to be voted out in a no-trust motion, Khan directly addressed the judiciary, and asked: "My dear judges, my judiciary, I have spent time in jail because of your freedom because I dream that one day the judiciary would stand with the weak people of the society, and not the powerful.
"I ask you, what crime had I exactly committed that you opened up the courts at midnight?"
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party chairman repeated the question at his Karachi rally as well on Saturday.
The chief justice, without naming anyone in particular, remarked that the apex court should be respected. "The court fulfills its constitutional responsibilities. National leaders should defend court decisions.
"We are cursed for doing our jobs and protecting the Constitution. Why should the court get involved in your political matters?" he said.
"The court works 24 hours. No one has the need to raise a finger on the court proceedings," he remarked, referring to Khan's complaint as to why the top courts of Pakistan had to open at midnight on April 9 — the night he was ousted as the prime minister.
Headed by chief justice Bandial, a five-member bench including Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail is currently hearing the case of the controversial presidential action to dissolve the National Assembly.
Commenting on the chief justice's remarks, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said the court needed to "rethink" its stance.
"No where in the world courts decide political questions and policy, courts in Pak must learn to stay away from politics, midnight courts will not get respect anyways," the close aide of former prime minister Khan tweeted. PTI
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)