On Saturday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary took suo motu notice against President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to elevate Lahore High Court Justice Khwaja Sharif to the Supreme Court bench.
The Chief Justice had earlier recommended that Justice Saqib Nisar be made a judge of the Supreme Court, and so convened a three-member committee to hear why the government has made different appointments.
What impact will another judicial crisis have in Pakistan? Do you think a tussle between the executive and the judiciary will lead to greater political instability? Is this showdown distracting from other pressing national issues?
The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Being a lawyer, I think that judicial appointments should be done by CJ and not by politically motivated president. Instead of confrontation with judiciary, government should concentrate on other public problems such as rising prices, sugar, water problem, terrorism, education, law and order and corruption. So that people of Pakistan and south Asia can live and work together for peace, brotherhood, better relations, prosperity and happiness.
S.S.SherGill (USA)
It seems like , courts, eastablishment and notable opposition/coalition parties have decided to do away with PPP government. Unfortunately the same court that would gladly grant a dicatator powers to amend constitution few years ago has suddenly become most politically activist court in history. On the one hand honourable CJ is taking action against Government for promoting civil servants out of seniority and on the other hand he is recommending junior high court judge to be promoted to supreme court. Also media has become an accomplice.
I totally agree with Zahid Khan, this govt. is creating problems for themselves, rather than avoiding the conflict situation. It’s upto the public now! Will they going to choose these kind of people again?
These judges are not solving the pending cases of public but busy in power game.
Don’t have words to describe the pain we feel for Pakistan when we see the Non-Muslim govt’s spending that much money in their social welfare and my beloved Pakistani’s just queuing to buy Atta, Dal & Cheeni.
I believe, perhaps wrongly, that their wont be a tussle. The government can not afford to open up another front at this stage. The very interesting backdrop of a silent revolution is enough to remind the government that the people are fed up. Nations take decades to do what Pakistan is undergoing these days.
Judiciary should be independent and powerful but not a power unto itself. Current judiciary trying to be a power unto itself , the same mistake that authoratrian rulers and dictators try to do. IT was said that judges don’t speak but their judgments speak but now it is other way around. Judges themselves are speaking loud and clear in the media like some political forces. They themselves jeoperdize their integertiy when those expose themselves to Media’s Hawks.
Supreme courts this hasty decision in the late hours is definitely not right. Article under which the notification issued clearly states that president of Pakistan will consult CJP which means the president is not bound to agree with the CJP advice. Now it seems that whatever institution wants should be done and there is no importance of the president of Pakistan, PM and parliamentary committee, which are in reality those who formed the constitution. I would advise CJP that if you are really sincere with the country then please revive the judiciary from bottom to top so that the common men could get cheap justice within no time rather targeting Government only and plunging the nation in to yet another crisis.
We have to look into the reasons why Supreme court chief justice wants Justice Saqib as supreme court Judge not Justice Khawaja Shareef who is the senior most judge and current high court chief justice, when justice khawaja shareef would be elevated to supreme court judge then the seniority list within supreme court has to be revised and in doing so justice khawaja shareef will become senior most and he has to be the new chief Justice of supreme court, the sitting chief justice will be move down into second place in the list, so that could be the reason, the sitting chief justice is simply trying to stick to his position.
Best of regards
Ameed Khan
Pakistan President wants to act as a dictator without realizing that he is creating more trouble for himself and PPP. He is very weak and by showing himself powerful, he is day by day making his term short. The Supreme Court CJ got his position back against so many odds and now has a lot of clout and power. Mr. Zardari is not a wise man. If Zardari had any sense he would not have been confrontations with Mr. Choudhary.
This could have been avoided if both sides would have not make it an issue of ego. I am not a constitutional expert but if my boss ignores me and gives promotion to my junior I will definitely feel aggrieved.
Even Mr. Iftikhar Chaudry is honest person still the precedent set by Honourable Chief Justice will be used by every other CJ to appoint his favourites. I think principal of seniority should be followed come what may.
Mr. Zardari is wrong hundred out of hundred times but this time he seems to be on right side.
I was amused that the notification was canceled by hearing the suo motto notice so late in night.
Lets pray that better sense prevails.
It is a further setback for the creditbility of Pakistan as a country. I personally think if Pakistan has to survive it can only survive following islamic laws enshrined in shariat. It lacks what it takes to be a progressive and modern democratic country.
This is going too far. This is a war between truth and false and we victory shall pave the way of our destiny. On either side.
My question is what’s wrong in it if Justice Khwaja Sharif is promoted to SC if he is the senior most in the list?
The crux of the matter is if justice Khawaja Sharif has the seniority and deserve to be promted to supreme court than CJ should have no objections to it (only that the presdient should have consulted the CJ).If if Justice Saquib Nisar has the seniority then he should be promted.I am confident that CJ must have considred the merit.I dont see any crises as such
This current predicament between the judiciary and the executive saddens me greatly. In a time of increasing instability, President Zardari has chosen to oppose the voice of the judiciary rather than form a united front in combating the problems gripping Pakistan. Do these politicians not realize the cross roads Pakistan currently stands at? Do they not realize the urgency for effective governance in Pakistan? As brother Zahid mentioned, the true problems facing Pakistan are shortages of sugar, wheat flour, electricity, gas, jobs, clean drinking water and a violent insurgency. Instead of biker aimlessly over the appointment of Supreme Justices, the President ought to be concerned with resolving the issues mentioned above, and until he resolves those issues he has no right to argue in a matter against the Chief Justice where the Chief Justice is best qualified.
Fallout will be that awam will suffer more and more and more. Nobody is going to work for the poor citizens of PAKISTAN…
Unfortunately the expected has happened. First the NRO and now the appointment judges have created a rift between the president and the cheif justice of the supreme court. There was already a lack of political stability and these two issues are going to make it worse.
The government has actually failed to improve the quality of life of the poor hapless people of Pakistan and therefore as a result there may be backlsh by the people. In what way Allah only knows.
When I think about the situation in Pakistan my heart really goes, looking at the necessity which Pakistani nation does not have, such as Sugar, Wheat flour, Electricity, Gas, jobs, clean drinking water and there is huge list of other necessities which Pakistani nation does not enjoy. However leaders of Pakistan have turned a blind eye to the problems of poor people. I pray to God that the injustice vanishes soon and we see authentic leadership who can lead us to prosperity and happiness.
Zahid Sahab, with this so called democracy where feudal lords, bribery system, ethnical groups, and racism prevails, there can be hardy any true leadership. What is more important for our country is to strengthen the institutions and the system. For instance, with true impartial judiciary there is almost no chance of any backdoor conspiracy against elected government. In fact with a true independent and impartial judiciary, no institution would dare get involved in corruption and ill practices. So let us pray for all of those who are making sincere efforts in helping Judiciary in its efforts to bring in equality and justice for all irrespective of cast, racism, rich, poor or feudal lord.
It is terrible, CJ Iftikhar Chaudry’s job is to provide justice not run the country.