Tag: CJP

  • Hindu temple attack: CJP reprimands authorities over no arrests

    Hindu temple attack: CJP reprimands authorities over no arrests

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed rebuked the Punjab Police chief for failing to take action to protect the Hindu temple from a mob in Rahim Yar Khan. The CJP directed him to arrest all culprits involved in the incident.

    Justice Gulzar had shown concern over the tragic incident and summoned Chief Secretary Punjab and IG Punjab to appear at the apex court and submit a report on the incident.

    During the hearing today, the CJP expressed anger over the incident and criticised the officials. “Three days have passed, but no one has been arrested.”

    He said the police acted as a silent spectator while the mob vandalised the temple. “What were the police and administration doing?” the CJP questioned.

     IGP Inam Ghani informed the court that terrorism clauses have been added in the First Information Report (FIR) lodged against the mob.

    CJP added, “If the deputy commissioner and the DPO cannot perform their duties, they should be fired.”

    Justice Amin said police have failed to perform their duty.

    “Had there been professional officers in the force, the issue would have been solved by now.”

    “Think, how would Muslims have reacted if a mosque was attacked,” CJP Gulzar remarked, adding that one should think about how the incident would impact Pakistani Hindus.

    The Supreme Court ordered the officials to submit a report on the next hearing on August 13.

    On Wednesday, hundreds of people reportedly vandalised a Hindu temple in Bhong town and blocked the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5) after a nine-year-old Hindu boy, who allegedly urinated in a local seminary.

  • Justice Isa questions PM’s stance on grant of funds to lawmakers

    Justice Isa questions PM’s stance on grant of funds to lawmakers

    Justice Qazi Faez Isa has questioned Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s stance on the grant of development funds to members of the national and provincial assemblies as the Supreme Court (SC) took up a suo motu case to determine the Constitutional status of the move.

    On Tuesday, the apex court constituted a five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, and served notices on the prime minister’s principal secretary, Cabinet Division secretary, finance secretary, federal and provincial advocate generals, and provincial chief secretaries.

    However, Justice Isa on Wednesday noted that a letter submitted by the premier’s principal secretary to the top judicial forum “did not contain the answers to the court’s questions”.

    “The letter does not have answers to the court’s questions. It seems the prime minister has not read the court’s order properly,” the judge said.

    In January, Prime Minister Imran announced a grant of Rs500 million for each member of the national and provincial assemblies under sustainable development goals to enable them to carry out development schemes for their voters.

    However, last week, Justice Isa took notice of the development, warning of legal proceedings if the move was found to be in contravention of the Constitution.

    On the occasion, he had asked Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan to update the court on the issue based on the government’s response.

    However, Khan responded he would update the court after receiving instructions from the government and further reassured that “whatever action is taken will be in the light of the law, Constitution and legal precedent.”Article continues after this advertisement

    Subsequently, Justice Isa referred the matter to the top judge for the formation of a bench.

    On Wednesday, all provinces submitted written replies to the court except for Sindh. When asked, the Sindh government’s counsel informed the court the provincial government had not given development funds to any lawmakers.

    “Sindh government should have submitted a written answer,” CJP Gulzdar replied.

    Meanwhile, AG Khan told the court the grant of development funds was “linked to the Constitution”, adding that the prime minister knew that “government funds cannot be used wrongly”.

    “No member of the National Assembly will be given money [directly],” he added.

    According to the procedure, the funds do not get issued to the individual MP or MPA. They get assigned to a project through a robust mechanism.

    Justice Isa questioned who had drafted the reply submitted by Principal Secretary Azam Khan. To this, Khan replied that it was “a matter between the lawyer and his client”.

    “The letter does not have proper English, it does not answer the court’s questions. It seems like the prime minister has tried to keep the door open for [granting] funds,” Justice Isa said.

    He also remarked that there was a “storm of information” from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting every day.

    “Either the prime minister should remain firm on what he said or admit he had made a mistake. Why is the prime minister hiding behind his secretary? The entire media published the news and the prime minister is silent,” the judge said.

    Khan replied if the prime minister “started refuting every news himself, he would not be able to do any other work”.

    The court ordered the Sindh government to submit its reply today.

    The bench also ordered the finance secretary to submit a clear answer to the court, directing that the report should also have the premier’s signature on it.

    The case was adjourned till Thursday (today).

  • Fact Check: Authorities break silence on claims regarding top judge ‘contracting coronavirus’

    Fact Check: Authorities break silence on claims regarding top judge ‘contracting coronavirus’

    Claim: Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed has contracted COVID-19

    Fact: CJP Gulzar Ahmed has not tested positive for COVID-19

    Authorities have rubbished claims regarding Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed contracting coronavirus, which had surfaced after an employee reportedly from the top judge’s chamber at the Supreme Court (SC) tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

    According to Dawn, the apex court, in a statement, has said that the CJP, his family and his secretary have all tested negative for the coronavirus.

    The statement added that the top judge’s tests were conducted after an employee of the court developed symptoms of Covid-19, following which he was put under quarantine as a suspected coronavirus patient.

    The employee, a Naib Qasid at the apex court, had first tested negative for the virus, but the result was “doubtful” and another test was conducted which turned out to be positive, the statement read.

    The employee has now been isolated at a polyclinic in Islamabad.

    Earlier in the day, reports circulated on local media that an employee in the CJP’s chamber had tested positive. However, the statement did not clarify whether the coronavirus-positive employee worked in the chief justice’s chamber but merely referred to him as an “employee of the Supreme Court”.

    The reports had led to claims that the top judge had also tested positive for COVID-19.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • CJP slams Imran govt for failing to contain coronavirus at border

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed has criticised the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led federal government for its inability to contain the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — at the border, leading to an outbreak in the country.

    The total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 296 in the country with 208 cases in Sindh while Punjab has 28, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 19, Balochistan has 23, Islamabad two, Gilgit-Baltistan 14 and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, two patients were confirmed to have died in KP on Wednesday, making them the first cases of death due to the deadly virus in Pakistan.

    The CJP was referring to the pilgrim influx from Iran through the Taftan border. Almost half of the Zaireen, who are kept at a largely mismanaged tent city at the border, have tested positive for the virus.

    “The coronavirus came from abroad through the airports due to PIA and the government’s incompetence,” remarked CJP. He noted that the coronavirus is now being talked about everywhere in the country.

    “If security remains like this, then I do not know what kind of new diseases will be introduced to the country [in the future],” remarked the CJP.

    The top judge was also irked by the National Security Committee’s (NSC) request to adjourn civil cases and instruct magistrates and sessions judges to conduct hearings at prisons for three weeks.

    He observed that the authorities had not made arrangements to minimise the risk instead asked the judges to suspend judicial work.

    The CJP made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by Air Marshal Arshad Malik seeking a stay against the Sindh High Court’s December 2019, order restraining him from working as the chief executive officer of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

    The SC allowed Malik to continue performing his duties as the head of the national carrier.

    During the hearing, the CJP asked the government to explain a single good thing that happened in the national airline.

    “PIA is playing with the lives of the people,” CJP Ahmed complained.

    However, Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed defended Malik and described him as a competent person. He added that, God-willing, Malik would take the PIA forward. However, the CJP interjected and told the government lawyer that work cannot be done by merely uttering “By the grace of God”, “God-willing” and “Thanks be to God”.

    Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan also criticised the government, saying that the court knows that a lot of lobbies were working against the airline.

    “There are lobbies inside PIA who do not want it to work,” remarked the judge. He also suggested that the air marshal implement those decisions which a political government cannot.

    “If actions had already been taken, the airline would not have been in its present state,” Justice Ahsan said.

    To this, the AGP replied that if Arshad Malik is allowed to work as the CEO, he will take all those actions. He added that whenever the court will say that Malik has to go, he will go.

  • CJP suspends COAS Bajwa’s extension notification

    CJP suspends COAS Bajwa’s extension notification

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa has suspended the notification of Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure extension on Tuesday, Dawn reported.

    According to the details, the court has issued notices to all parties, including Gen Bajwa.

    During the hearing of a petition challenging the extension in Gen Bajwa’s tenure today, the chief justice said, “Only the president of Pakistan can extend the tenure of the army chief.”

    “Army chief’s tenure was extended after the president’s approval,” the attorney general (AG) told the court, adding that “The summary had been approved by the cabinet.”

    The AG also said, “A similar petition was filed in the Peshawar High Court but was withdrawn later”.

    On August 19, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had approved an extension in the tenure of Gen Bajwa for another three years.