ISLAMABAD - Amid speculations by certain quarters about what transpired in the one-on-one meeting between the prime minister and the chief justice, the latter said on Thursday that the judiciary has lost nothing but gained a lot.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has put in plain words that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had visited his chamber with a request but got nothing in return.
The chief justice further revealed that he was invited to the PM House for a meeting but he refused the invitation.
“Many people come with their pleas and it’s my duty to hear the requests so the prime minister also visited but we granted nothing. I never return any complainant as there could be a genuine problem,” the chief justice said responding to Advocate Latif Khosa, who was representing a litigant regarding illegal constructions in Murree, on his comments about the meeting on a TV channel.
Khosa on a private TV channel had raised the objection the meeting should not have taken place. The chief justice told Khosa, “I am saying that we have lost nothing rather gained a lot in the meeting.”
He further told Khosa to have faith in his brother and institution. “We will not let down the judiciary and will not disappoint the legal fraternity,” the top judge observed.
When Khosa said that it was like a situation when Justice Sir Abdul Rasheed was requested to meet the then prime minister, the chief justice responded that he did not go to PM’s House and rather the premier visited to meet him.
“When someone himself comes to a doorstep, then his request should be heard,” the chief justice said, adding that nothing was granted.
On March 27, Prime Minister Abbasi held an one-on-one meeting with the chief justice for two hours wherein he vowed full support to the public interest initiatives undertaken by the chief justice.
He had also told the chief justice that he will support his efforts for improvement in the state of public hospitals and revamp medical education.
Advocate Arif Chaudhry said that in the present scenario, press statements and such observations will increase difficulties for the system to function.
“Whether a person, who is a proxy of Nawaz Sharif, will give assurances of support to chief justice’s steps for the public interest when Nawaz Sharif himself is openly criticising these steps?” Chaudhry said.
After the conversation between chief justice and Khosa, regular arguments in the illegal constructions in Murree resumed.
However, the three-judge bench decided to form a commission to look into the illegal constructions and encroachments in Murree.
The bench will consider the names of Justice (retd) Abdul Sattar and Federal Shariat Court judge Maqbool Bajwa for appointing them as members of the commission.
While directing parties in the case to submit their terms of reference for the commission, the top court adjourned the hearing until next Tuesday.
CJP DIDN’T CALL PM ‘FARYADI’: SC
The Supreme Court has clarified that Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has not termed Prime Minister of Pakistan as ‘faryadi’.
In a clarification issued from the officer of the top court’s spokesperson stated that a news aired by different media channels that the Chief Justice of Pakistan used the word “Faryadi” for the prime minister of Pakistan.
“It is categorically stated that this attribution to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar is completely wrong and malicious,” stated the statement.
“The Chief Justice holds the Prime Minister in high esteem, being the head of the government, and has never used the word “Faryadi” for him. Any misgivings in this regard should, therefore, be put to rest,” it added.
SYED SABEEHUL HUSSNAIN
