Never accepted dictation from any institution, declares CJP Gulzar

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahamd has denied accepting any pressure from any institution and taking any dictation forbidding the mongers who spread ‘lies’ while cautioning them that they are weakening the state in this way, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing the two-day Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore on Saturday, Justice Gulzar Ahmad made it clear “Our courts are working freely. There is no pressure from any side on them.”

A charged Chief Justice of Pakistan said “I have always upheld the law and the Constitution while delivering my judgments. My verdicts are as per my conscience.”

He said “I accept no dictation. I have never seen any dictation. I work as per law so do all the other judges of the Supreme Court.”

He said that in institutions there is always rule of law and not the rule of individuals. Nobody dared interfere in my decisions, he added. He said the judges of high courts were working diligently to dispense justice among people. 

Justice Gulzar Ahmad asked the audience to enlighten him whether he accepted any pressure from any quarter.  

While expressing his ire over former firebrand SCBA president Ali Ahmad Kurd, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmad offered him to read the court judgements. 

“We work without pressure. And we will continue to work independently. There is rule of law in Pakistan, not the rule of mere individuals. We will continue supporting law, constitution and democracy in Pakistan. We will never accept any undemocratic setup. In such scenario, we will better quit our jobs as we have done before,” the CJP stated. 

It is pertinent to mention here that Mr Kurd in his address alleged that the judiciary worked under the pressure of some institutions.

The CJP was addressing Asma Jahangir Conference-2021 titled “The Role of Judiciary for the Protection of Human Rights and Strengthening of Democracy’ in Lahore which was attended by a host of legal fraternity, besides important national and international dignitaries. 

Chief justices of the Lahore and Islamabad high courts, Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti also participated in the session.

Besides these senior judges, the senior members of the bar and envoys of foreign missions in Islamabad are also attending the conference. Ahsan Bhoon, President of Supreme Court Bar Association, Khushdil Khan, Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, and Ali Ahmed Kurd, former SCBA president and senior journalist Hamid Mir are among the prominent participants. 

Androulla Kaminara, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, Wouter Plomp, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Pakistan, Wendy Gilmour, Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Dr. Philipp Deichmann, Deputy of Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan, Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Knut Ostby, Resident Representative of UNDP Pakistan, and Dr Agnes Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International, are going to address the inaugural session on Saturday.

Pakistan survival lies in democracy: Justice Isa

On this occasion, Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa has said that all judges and Pakistan Army take oath to the protection of the constitution. Every Pakistani is bound to uphold the constitution, he urged. 

He was of the view that there should be freedom of press and freedom of expression and the women rights should be safeguarded. 

He held that we should not beg for democracy, it’s our right. He maintained that democracy must be strengthened in Pakistan. He said speaking the truth is the ‘biggest jihad’ and the survival of Pakistan lies in democracy only. He asked the government to provide free education till matriculation. 

He said that Islam has put special emphasis on the character of women. That’s why Hazrat Khadija (RA) was declared Mother of the Momineen due to her good character.

Justice Isa was of the opinion that judiciary played a very important role in strengthening of democracy in the country. He said Pakistan was the only country which gave its ruling against the martial law of General Ghulam Muhammad. 

He further said the Supreme Court had also given its verdicts against the undemocratic steps of General Iskandar Mrza and Ayub Khan. He stated that it was the SC which declared former president Farooq Leghari’s step to dissolve the National Assembly illegal and restored the government of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto. 

Accepting pressure is violation of a judge's oath: CJ Minallah 

While addressing the session, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that it’s a violation of judge’s oath if he accepts pressure stressing that there is no clause in the constitution that can change the destiny of a country, only judges can do so. He said no independent judge could accept the pressure.

He, however, stressed that media should assist the judges. He said he was the first judge who submitted petition against the PCO oath. 

Endorsing Chief Justice Minallah, Justice Wajihuddin said if his petition were heard, our country’s history would have been different. 

Judiciary must safeguard human rights: LHC CJ

Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Amir Bhatti said that the judiciary could play an important role in the civil and criminal matters. He said that Pakistan’s constitution and judiciary should safeguard the human rights cases. . It’s foremost duty of the judiciary to provide justice. He said that Pakistan’s judicial system was perfect. 

SCBA president seeks right of appeal in suo motu notices 

In his address, the newly elected SCBA President Ahsan Bhoon stressed the need to amend the Clause 3 of the Article 184 requesting the higher judiciary to grant right of appeal in the suo motu notices taken by the apex court. The rules in this regard must be altered, he added. 

“Now is time to stand up for democracy,” he added. 

Reporter Malik Ashraf