PM Imran himself allowed Nawaz to go abroad: CJP

ISLAMABAD: In an apparent reference to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s travel to London for medical treatment, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa said on Wednesday Prime Minister Imran Khan had himself agreed for “someone” to travel abroad, so it was not correct to say the judiciary was the sole authority in the matter.

A couple of days ago, the Prime Minister had said in an indirect reference to Sharif’s travel to London there were separate laws for the weak and the powerful in the country, requesting the CJP to deliver prompt justice.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of IT-based facilities for general public, litigants and lawyers, here on Wednesday, the CJP said: “Don’t give us this taunt”, referring to “the powerful”. “Nobody is powerful before us [the judiciary] other than the law itself.”

The CJP said the Prime Minister should refrain from issuing such statements as he was the chief executive of the government. “The particular case that the respected Prime Minister referred to, I do not want to comment on that. But he [PM Imran] should know that they themselves allowed somebody [Nawaz Sharif] to go abroad. The debate in the high court was only over modalities. Please be careful (with statements).”

Justice Khosa said they had been working without resources, adding those criticising the courts should be careful. The CJP said the current judiciary should not be compared to that of 2009 as it was free now. While apparently referring to Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the CJP said the courts were about to announce verdict in the case of a former chief of army staff.

“For us, no one is either big or small or powerful. We convicted one prime minister and disqualified another. A (former) chief of army staff’s case is about to be decided soon. Are these examples not in front of you? For us, only the law is powerful,” he said.

The top judge lamented the judiciary was working without proper resources and only above 3000 judges gave verdicts in hundred thousands of cases last year. “If one high-profile case gets highlighted by media then it does not mean the 3.6 million cases decided by a mere 3,100 judges should lay forgotten.”

He emphasised the dedication and impartiality of the institution should be respected, saying: “Nobody is perfect. No institution, no human being is perfect. But if some people are working with such dedication, please encourage and facilitate them.”

The CJP praised Prime Minister Khan’s offer to allocate additional resources for the improvement of judicial system. The measures like provision of extra resources to the judiciary would go a long way in improving matters, he said.

Justice Khosa said they had landed in the 21st century, the century of technology and advancement. The newly launched IT-based facilities, he said, would provide an effective and efficient platform to discourage adjournments and encourage legal fraternity to plead their cases without any delay, which would help improve disposal of cases and reduce the backlog, and to get prompt justice from the courts by saving time and money.