ISLAMABAD - A few months prior to his retirement, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday expressed his determination to hold the judges accountable and observed that the Supreme Judicial Council had become completely active and the process of accountability had started now.

He remarked that the process of accountability had been started and SJC had become completely active while all the judges found to be not working actively would be held accountable on violation of code of conduct.

A day ago, the SJC had decided the cases of two Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges wherein Chief Justice IHC Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi was cleared of all the charges after SJC found no grounds in complaints against him. The other case decided against senior most judge of IHC Shaukat Siddiqui, who has been removed on the SJC’s recommendation on the charges of accusing an intelligence agency of interference in the judicial work.

However, the chief justice’s observations regarding the SJC came during the hearing of a petition filed by ex-president Lahore Bar Association Advocate Zafar Iqbal Kalanuri seeking indulgence of top court for framing of supervisory jurisdiction rules to supervise the subordinate court’s judges.

The three-judge bench headed by chief justice also issued the notice to the registrar of Lahore High Court (LHC) on the matter.

During the hearing, the chief justice further observed that people had been fluttered and crying on not being dispensed with justice. He questioned as to why the supervisory committees of high courts were not examining the performance of subordinate courts.

The CJ observed that a judge of subordinate judiciary in Muzaffar Garh, when inquired about disposal of cases, said that he disposed of twenty two cases in a month.

“This court’s bench No.1 disposes of 22 cases daily and has wrapped up 7,000 cases excluding the cases pending in Human Rights Cell (HRC),” the chief justice observed.

The CJ also expressed dissatisfaction on the performance of high court’s supervisory committee and questioned if the committee ever asked district and session judge why the disposal ratio was slow.

Everyone likes perks, privileges and cars but nobody works, chief justice further observed. 

Advocate Kalanuri in his petition stated that he had come across many cases, where the corruption, maladministration in the subordinate judiciary cannot be curtailed because under Article 203 of the constitution supervisory jurisdiction rules have not been formulated by the respective high courts.

The public at large is suffering due to non framing of Rules and the High Courts should take the initiative, the petition stated, adding, “it is a matter of public importance and the public at large is suffering due to non framing of the relevant Rules and access to justice is being denied.”

“Due to non formulation of rules by the High Court, the supervisory jurisdiction is not being exercised and the delinquent Civil Judges are frustrating the statutory provision and the fundamental rights, thus, adjourning the cases without reasonable cause just to frustrate the administration of justice.”

While issuing the notice to LHC registrar, the top court adjourned the hearing.

CJP vows to hold judges accountable