Addressing judges of the Model Criminal Trial Courts at Federal Judicial Academy, the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Asif Saeed Khosa expressed deep concern over the precarious economic condition of the country, rise of negative tendencies in politics in violation of established parliamentary norms and the emerging dangerous situation in the region, particularly the looming clouds of war in Afghanistan. The top judge painfully said that there is no good news these days except from judiciary.
The remarks of the Chief Justice of Pakistan have gone down deep in the hearts of people who feel extremely disappointed over the deliberate indifferent attitude of political leadership towards the national and regional issues mentioned by him in his speech. The pandemonium that went on in a number of secessions of the National Assembly, exchange of invectives by the lawmakers and the scuffle in Senate on Tuesday do not augur well for the political landscape of the country. Although in the yesterday’s budget session, relative calm prevailed and leader of the opposition Shabaz Sharif delivered two hours long speech, which was long on rhetoric but short in substance baring his offer of charter of economy. He vehemently criticized the fiscal measures proposed in the budget for the next fiscal year but did not say a single word about the economic policies of the previous governments that made the flourishing economy a sinking ship. He did not suggest alternative fiscal measures to amend and modify the budget by making it pro-poor people.
The indecent remarks of JUI (F) Senator MaulanaAttaurRehman on the charter of the Prime Minister are highly deplorable. In the ensuing scuffle even former Chairman Senate and senior politician Senator RazaRabbani was maltreated. What message the day in and day out democracy clamouring political elite is conveying to party workers? Does the lining up of opposition political parties for launching protest on the roads have any rationale in the emerging regional situation? The JUI (F) Central Amir MaulanaFazluRehman has announced a committee for the lockdown of Islamabad. Does the country afford the political instability leading to chaos? Is there any justification for opposing tooth and nail across-the-board accountability process which is one of the basic fundamentals of true democracy? Is money laundering by political elite through fake bank accounts not a financial crime? Money laundering from Pakistan is one of two major factors for greylisting of Pakistan by the Financial Action Task Force FARF). The mother of modern day democracies the UK had passed the “Financial Crimes Act”, which came into force in September 2017. Is it not the equal responsibility of the opposition political parties to cooperate with the government in making legislation to strengthen the ant- money laundering regime to facilitate the speedy implementation of 27 points Action Plan of the FATF before September to pave the way for removing Pakistan from the greylist?
It was the responsibility of political leadership to have used the forum of parliament for making legislation to reform the criminal justice system for providing speedy and inexpensive justice to the people. When they neglected their prime responsibility, the Chief Justice of Pakistan had to take the initiative of establishing Model Criminal Trial Courts. These courts are now deciding record number of criminal cases, ensuring speedy and inexpensive justice to the people and relieving them to greater extent from the burden of heavy fee that used to be paid to lawyers.
