Mandokhail stresses accountability of state

Judge says children should not suffer in parents dispute

ISLAMABAD:

Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday delivered pointed observations on state responsibility and human sensitivity while hearing two separate matters, underscoring that children should not suffer amid protracted legal disputes.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Mandokhail and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, heard a petition filed by a private construction company over the cancelled construction of a guesthouse in Islamabad's Diplomatic Enclave for the Balochistan chief minister and governor.

The company's counsel told the court that the previous caretaker chief minister had inaugurated the project before its notification was withdrawn, adding that an advance bank guarantee was submitted for mobilisation.

Justice Mandokhail noted that arbitration proceedings were already pending before the trial court, remarking that "the government is not running away, the government is right here," while pointing out that the bank guarantee remained valid until June 30, 2026.

Justice Mandokhail observed that caretaker officials may have acted in haste, possibly limiting their role to installing a plaque, and recalled that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had earlier issued a stay order.

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, directing the lower court to decide the matter.

In a separate case involving a dispute between a husband and wife, Justice Mandokhail ordered that a father be allowed to meet his young daughter in court, stressing that "such cruelty should not be inflicted." He observed that children suffer the most in marital disputes, directing that the meeting take place immediately inside the courtroom before adjourning the hearing.