State busy making, breaking govts: Justice Minallah

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Judge Justice Athar Minallah Friday remarked that the state was busy making and breaking governments, while all the institutions were hounding the political opponents.

The judge passed these remarks during the hearing of a bail application in a murder case.

A three-member bench — headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail — heard the bail application.

Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan were the two other bench members.

Justice Minallah said the Supreme Court spoke the truth as much as the entire society adding that the murder of an elected prime minister had been admitted after 40 years; therefore, someone should have been declared responsible and punished.

He observed that the instant bail matter had been pending with the apex court since 2017, while the state was busy bringing and removing governments while all the institutions were hounding the political opponents.

Justice Mandokhail remarked that three prime ministers had been killed but what happened to their cases.

He observed that one of the most senior judges was also killed in Balochistan but nothing was known adding that the main thing was the lack of desire to do anything.

He further observed that as compared to the other two provinces, police investigation was very poor in Sindh and Punjab.

“As long as the state institutions will remain engaged in political engineering, the situation will remain the same,” Justice Mandokhail remarked.

Justice Minallah observed that if the constitution was followed, such situations won’t happen.

Justice Mandokhail remarked that people did not trust the institutions and wanted the Supreme Court to do all the work.

“What could be a greater crime than the murder of a prime minister?” Justice Minallah asked, saying someone should have been held responsible and punished.

Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan remarked that in a country where the prime minister faced such a situation, what would happen to the common man.

He further remarked that that one day the prime minister was in the Prime Minister’s House and the next day he landed in jail.

“No one knows how many days the prime minister has to stay”, the judge remarked.

Meanwhile, the court rejected the bail application of the accused, Ishaq, and directed his arrest.