Top judge says judiciary is no more divided

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ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi has said all judges of the Supreme Court are brothers and gone are the days when the apex court judges took positions against each other.

During an interaction with court reporters in the federal capital on Monday, Justice Afridi said, "The past three-four years were really tough [at the SC] due to an onslaught of [political] cases. However, the time is over when judges took positions against each other."

Justice Yahya likened the Supreme Court to "Titanic", stating that it is not easy to bring about sudden changes in such a huge institution, to reform which numerous steps have already been taken. "Give us [the judges] some time and things will be streamlined," he added,

He said the authority of high courts is held in high regard and there will be no direct interference with the authority of high courts or subordinate courts. "The direction of the Supreme Court can be adjusted to improve the delivery of justice," he added.

According to Justice Afridi, he was shaken by missing persons' cases during his recent visits to Balochistan's Quetta and Gwadar cities. He said during prison visits, inmates expressed grievances about prolonged delays in case resolutions by the Supreme Court, which he found deeply embarrassing.

He acknowledged Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah's significant contributions to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and announced plans to train retired judges in ADR at the Federal Judicial Academy.

The CJ said proceedings on complaints against judges are ongoing in the Supreme Judicial Council.