Pak Chief Justice slams Imran Khan for religion-influenced governance curbing development

Lambasting Pakistan’s leader Imran Khan for positioning Islam and ideologies in the constitutional dispensation, key decision making, and governance paradigm, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed on Friday said that public related issues and economic challenges facing Islamabad are not being dealt with by the ruling government “in true spirit” and practicality. Ahmed was speaking at a conference during his book launching ceremony ‘Reading The Constitution of Pakistan -- Article wise discussion, fair comments on the case, law and the history when he launched a scathing attack against the Khan and his ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, according to ANI, that cited Pakistan’s press reported.

The event was attended by Pakistan’s Supreme Court judges, former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa, Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, former chairman of Senate Wasim Sajjad, former law minister Dr. Khalid Ranjha and ambassadors of different countries. 

Ahmed on Friday stressed that the courts in Pakistan are burdened with petty issues in the shape of petitions. "The capacity to enforce rights of the citizens is not growing [and] as a result the hapless people of this country are facing typical problems and their fundamental rights are being violated with impunity,” Pakistan’s CJP iterated, targeting Khan for his methods of governance. 

Imran Khan 'mishandling public concerns,' neglecting prime and basic functions: Pak's Judiciary 

The former accused the Pakistani leader of mishandling the public concerns and neglecting real issues. Cases related to cleaning of roads; lifting of garbage, maintaining parks and open spaces, provision of playgrounds, and ensuring construction in accordance with bylaws are dumped in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Ahmed stressed.

He once again criticised the Pakistan Prime Minister for not fulfilling the “prime and basic functions” of the government for so long that such matters were being discussed in the courts. Asking the ruling government to focus on the facets of public life, and issues related to it, Ahmed iterated that the Pakistan leader needs to ensure that the constitution is enforced. 

Separately, at the event, Justice Khosa listed key issues confronting Pakistan as he suggested to the Khan government that it is important that such problems were identified and a solution was discovered. He warned that the lack of focus on public matters will continue to push Pakistan into further insecurity. “We have to catch the bull by the horn,” ANI quoted the judge as saying, citing newspaper the Dawn. Khosa advised that Prime Minister Khan needed separate role of the state in Islamic dispensation and the country had to strategise where they had placed Islam in the constitutional dispensation and the in governance paradigm, separately. 

The biggest hurdle facing Pakistan, he said, was the government’s mindset that their “loyalty is towards our clan or tribe rather than the state. Such tendencies are now even creeping up in different institutions including the legal fraternity which often goes on strike every now and then. Likewise, we also have to take care of our economic sovereignty,” the Pakistan judge warned. He reminded the government that the country’s judiciary is bestowed with the task of ensuring and upholding the constitutional laws. "The capacity to enforce rights of the citizens is not growing and as a result, the hapless people of this country are facing typical problems and their fundamental rights are being violated with impunity,” he reportedly said.