F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday declared criticising the courts equal to disobeying the Constitution during a hearing on the Elections Act 2017, which allowed disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif to become the head of PML-N.
Nisar was hearing petit-ions against the Elections Act when he said that they will not react to criticism as the people of Pakistan are fully aware of everything and the best judge. He then referred to Article 5 of the Constit-ution: ‘loyalty to the state means loyalty to judiciary’.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan stated that attacking the Constitution falls under the scope of Article 5 of the Constitution, while Justice Umar Ata Bandial added that the public stand with the apex court.
“No one can ‘kick out’ the judges of the country,” said the CJP.
The chief justice remarked that if the courts are wrapped up in the country, the law of jungle will prevail in the country.
The bench also discussed the legal precedents regarding the response of judges to unnecessary accusations levelled against their judgments.
The chief justice remarked that they can neither hold public rallies nor ask for raising of hands, in an indirect reference to the former premier’s recent public rallies against his disqualification.
Meanwhile, counsel for the PPP Latif Khosa questioned why the judiciary keeps ignoring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s speeches against judges. He argued that Nawaz fooled the court and common man by being elected as the head of the party.
“I think you don’t know about wisdom,” the chief justice answered and ordered Additional Attorney General Pakistan (AAGP), Waqar Rana, to submit a complete debate on the Election Act.
Later on, the chief justice remarked that the court can extend the designated contempt of court punishment of six months.
During the hearing, the three-member bench also discussed the legal precedents regarding the judges’ response to accusations leveled against their judgments.
The hearing has been adjourned until 1 pm Thursday.
