Pak judiciary, bar affiliation lock horns over interference of safety establishments on judicial issues

Pakistan’s judiciary and the Supreme Court Bar Association on Saturday locked horns over allegations of interference in judicial issues by the nation’s safety establishments, with the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court vehemently saying that the judiciary within the nation by no means takes dictation from different establishments.
Addressing a gathering on the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore held on the title Role of Judiciary in Protecting Human Rights and Strengthening Democracy, Justice Gulzar Ahmed stated that the judiciary was functioning independently and there was no form of interference.
“I have not taken pressure from any institution or listened to any institution. No one tells me or guides me on how to write my verdict. I have never made any decision that I did so on someone else’s saying, nor has anyone had the courage to say anything to me,” he stated.
He vehemently denied that the judiciary was being influenced by or taking dictation from different establishments.
His statements got here as a part of his speech in the course of the programme the place Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association President Ali Ahmad Kurd with out mincing phrases alleged that safety establishments had been influencing the highest judiciary.
“One general is dominating a country of 220 million people. This same general has sent the judiciary down to number 126 [in rankings],” he stated referring to World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2021, on which Pakistan ranks 126th within the class of basic rights.
Justice Ahmed stated nobody interfered together with his work and he determined instances on benefit.
“I have never listened, seen, understood or felt anyone’s dictation to me,” he stated.
“My court gives justice to the people. Come to the court Ali Ahmad Kurd and see what is happening. Read the court’s decision and see what is happening. My judges write judgements every day […] see how our court is working with freedom and following the law and implementing the Constitution.” he stated.
Interestingly, talking forward of the Chief Justice Ahmed on the identical discussion board, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah acknowledged that a few of Kurd’s criticism was legitimate, saying that the judgments in instances such because the Nusrat Bhutto case and the Zafar Ali Shah case had been a part of historical past.
“These judgments were responsible for the making and enabling of those that have been referred to by Mr Ali Ahmad Kurd,” Justice Minallah famous.
Justice Minallah went on so as to add that the judiciary mustn’t “bury its head in the sand and ignore its mistakes”.
The Supreme Court on completely different events had justified the navy takeover of Ziaul Haq of 1977 within the Nusrat Bhutto case and that of Pervez Musharraf of 1999 within the Zafar Ali Shah case.

The high judiciary has come underneath recent stress after the previous chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan stated in an affidavit that Pakistan’s former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar pressured a choose of the IHC to disclaim bail to former premier Nawaz Sharif in 2018 till the overall elections had been over.
The three-time premier, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar had been convicted within the Avenfield properties case on July 6, 2018. Sharif was additionally sentenced to seven years within the Al-Azizia Steel Mills case in December 2018. But Sharif was bailed out in each instances and in addition allowed to go to London for medical therapy.