Pakistan

Politics and judges

July 04, 2010

MANDI BAHAUDDIN: This is with reference to the recent remarks made by the Honourable Chief Justice of Lahore High Court wherein he said that the PPP should quit the Punjab coalition government if it had any objections to Rana Maqbool’s appointment as chief prosecutor.

Clearly, this is a political statement made by someone who should not have made it. If anybody had to say this it should have been a spokesman of the PML-N or the Punjab government. The fact is that Mr Maqbool was declared a proclaimed offender in a case involving the president some years back and should a sitting chief justice of a high court be making such comments in the first place? With due respect, judges are supposed to be impartial and are assumed to steer clear of politics and making political statements.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (7)

zujaja sarwar | 14 years ago | Reply well Tassawur you are quite right that a sitting justice of LHC should not deliver such statment. on one more aspect i want to have your attention that does this honourable justice have this right to interfare in such senarios. secondly i think justice will completely invisible if our masters of justice will do so. they should be totally apolitical so that they can handle other most important issues which are facing by people more important than Rana's case. Rana's case has other context and it should be handle within court rather in front of mass by making it politics so that they can take stay on it...yes, its a stay on this case. Its an attempt to take advantage by arising provisional baise and seggregation among people. justice should be justice free of any baise and politics. justice should have most priority for him rahter to make political statements. By doing this he not only increase ppp's anger against PMLN even he made differnces between sindh and punjab. His one more statement that friendship with Sharif Family do not be hurdle in justice......these words are very attentionable that why he mentioned it....what you think why he specially focus on Sharif brothers... there can be two reasons one he want to save his friendship and other is he want to arise anger between these two parties...just think,,,,,,,,of which party Justice of LHC want goodness or favour would be more appropriate word. Now i want to discuss one more thing that if accountability has been opened, so look at history many such cases are waiting for accountability...........

Sehrash | 14 years ago | Reply Dont you people see similarity between Khaja Sharif , Nwaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. It reveals all.

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Waqar | 14 years ago | Reply You are right my friend Tassawur. Tassawur, Is it not needed now, when this statement of Mr. Justice Sharif has distorted the image of the free judiciary and has invited open criticism, Honorable Chief Justice, Justice Iftikhar Chaudary should take sue motto action and send the case of Justice Sharif to Supreme Judicial Council on this open violation of conduct. This not only, would shut the mouth of critics of free judiciary but also would establish the precedent that no one is above law, not even the lieutenant of CJP.

Tassawur | 14 years ago | Reply Thanks a lot all of you , for such encouraging remarks. Indeed this sheer political statement of Justice Sharif, giving political advice to PPP on one side and advocating an accused on the other, has not only starteled all and sundry but also has given rise to certain serious questions. Firstly, Is a C.J authorized to represent a proclaimed offender and can he advise a major political party to quit the government? Does it not unveil the mystery as to why there had been a furore over Justice Sharif’s elevation to Supreme Court? When Justice Sharif has openly admitted his alliance with Sharifs in this statement as well as in his Autobiography, was this the reason for insistence on him to be retained in Lahore? Without any iota of doubt this statement wherein Mr. Justice has advised PPP to quit Punjab Government amounts to sheer misconduct. It is clearly evident from the fact that it has startled the stalwart of judicial movement ,be that Ali Ahmad Kurd, Aitzaz Ahsan, Justice Tariq Mehmood or Hamid Khan , the staunch supporter of present judiciary. These remarks where on one side have put question mark on the credibility of Justice Sharif, has also on the other hand given legitimacy to the criticism of those who term it biased. Besides this, where this statement has been regretted by even men in the streat, the Silence of N. League makes it more meaningful.

Ali Ammar | 14 years ago | Reply No doubt Tassawur you are right, juddes should not do politics.

Neelam | 14 years ago | Reply Well Done Mr. Bosal. Your each and every words is correct to its core and depth. I would further add ,TASSAWUR , Now, when this statement of Mr. Justice Sharif has brought bad name to the judiciary and has invited open criticism, Honorable Chief Justice, Justice Iftikhar Chaudary is expected to take sue motto action and send the case of Justice Sharif to Supreme Judicial Council on this open violation of conduct. This not only, would shut the mouth of critics of free judiciary but also would establish the precedent that no one is above law, not even the lieutenant of CJP.

Naila | 14 years ago | Reply I fully agree with Mr. Bosal. why do some of the superior judiciary member seem to be clearly seem following the role of opposition? Tassawur , you indeed have spoken for a huge silent majority who does not want the struggle for free judiciary get wasted .

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