The CJ-PM meeting

At a time when tensions between the civilian government and the judiciary are seen as high, the surprise meeting between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was bound to set tongues wagging. In recent months, the CJ has been particularly proactive in the areas of healthcare, water facilities and waste management; the SC has now also said that during the meeting the prime minister assured the CJ that the government would give full support to his initiatives. The CJ though has also invited criticism for his activism as a case of the judiciary encroaching on legislative territory at the expense of the need for reforms in its own house. Many even now may find it difficult to understand why these matters needed to be discussed given that the roles of the judiciary and the executive as laid out in the constitution are quite separate and very clearly defined. Not very long ago the PM had called for legislatures to be given the right to perform their duties without intervention.

Meetings between the heads of government and SC chief justices may be rare but not unprecedented and their rarity is well matched by the unusual situations we have faced and are facing. For some, more significant may be the fact that in times of crisis governments here have often gained little in the aftermath. However, many have wondered if there was a deeper significance to the meeting. In the past week, both Nawaz Sharif and Khaqan Abbasi stressed talks with any institution to ensure harmony. So, say the speculators, this visit may have been the first part of a charm offensive and the message may be that the government will not be actively seeking a confrontation with the judiciary. If so, the question will be whether a more conciliatory tone would be a rejection of the aggressive approach Nawaz Sharif has taken after his disqualification from public office by the SC. But the former prime minister has again spoken out strongly against the CJ’s scrutiny of healthcare infrastructure. The fact is that right now there is too much in the air for anyone to make predictions with any degree of certainty.

Observers have also wondered if the meeting had anything to do with a possible delay in elections, which are supposed to be held before the end of July. The chief justice – while insisting the democratic process cannot be interrupted – is also seen to have hinted at a possible delay. The matter of technical issues like the delimitation of constituencies has figured in this context despite the Election Commission of Pakistan saying it is working on schedule.Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N too have never wavered from the position that elections must be held on time as stipulated. After all is said and done, as the government nears the end of its tenure, it would be best if all institutions made an equal and joint effort to resolve any differences and worked together to ensure that governance is not affected.