Judiciary

The executive, legislature and judiciary are the three key pillars of a democratic state. But if any pillar plays the role of a nosy parker in the affairs of the other institution, that organization cannot perform its duties disinterestedly. Legislature has to outline laws; executive is responsible to put them into practice and judiciary has to watch whether the laws are formed and implemented in the favor of the public. If any law is framed against the welfare of the community or transgressed, then judiciary has to take its course. Therefore, a vigilant judiciary has to play dual roles in a democratic country. Bench is bound to ladle out justice fair-mindedly to build trust of the public in this most significant organization of the state. There are uncountable examples in which the rank and file suffers in the hands of the elected and selected mallet men. Then there is only one glimmer of hope and gleam of anticipation for the victimized sad sacks feeling the pinch and that is judiciary. Therefore, judiciary must not only be independent but should also be supreme power in a sovereign country.

Current judicial crisis entangled the government and with each passing day the situation resulting from its repercussions became from bad to worse. The headliners found it difficult to escape from this self-created trap. A regime that deliberately creates a crisis like situation to safeguard the vested interests of the hotshots without giving a tinker’s dam to the public sentiments, priority to the welfare of the country and concern to the strength of its institutions can barely stake out any claim for egalitarianism and public well being. The bold suo motu notices of the CJP annoyed the authorities. Due to his indomitable will and dauntless courage, he became a thorn in the side of the big cheese. Therefore, he was made “non-functional” on March 9,2007.The ensuing incidents were contrary to the expectations of the men in power due unwavering stand taken by the CJP. The creditable lawyers’ community united with him, vehemently protested for his reinstatement and strived shoulder to shoulder with him for independence of the judiciary and supremacy of the constitution.

Raid on Geo TV office and destruction of its telecasting installations due to coverage provided to the well-liked CJP rallies, brutal killings and grave injuries of the innocent civilians in Karachi, bullets fired on a private TV channel”Aaj”, forcing the Chief Justice not to address the Sindh High Court Bar Association and to return back to Islamabad along with his lawyers, cruel murder of the Supreme Court Additional Registrar Syed Hammad Amjad Raza, nationwide shutdown of business and successful shutter down strikes, suicide bomb explosion in Marhaba Hotel Peshawar, issuance of harsh Pemra Ordinance to silence the public voice, gun firing on the residences of nephew of the CJ and Munir A.Malik(President SCBA) ,Lal Masjid carnage and bomb explosion in Islamabad a few hours before the address of the reverend CJP further complicated the already grim situation. These untoward incidents have exposed the hollowness of the slogan” Freedom of Expression” and taken the wind out of the sails of “Enlightened Moderation”. They have also brushed aside the government’s efforts and quest, to entice the public and to change the international community’s views about the judicial imbroglio in its considerable engineered gathering in Islamabad.