WHILE chairing the meeting of the Federal Cabinet on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted several issues agitating the minds of people of Pakistan as well as the international community. He gave genesis of the 26th Amendment in the Constitution, spoke about successful conduct of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that elevated diplomatic stature of the country, fruitful visit of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang on the occasion, plight of the oppressed people of Gaza and Lebanon and the need for immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid and rising cases of polio in the country.
There is a reason to concur with the Prime Minister that the constitutional amendment, envisaging establishment of constitutional benches, will provide people with prompt and easy justice. It was in this context that Shehbaz Sharif described the passage of the 26th Amendment by the Parliament as a milestone for political and economic stability and progress of the country. However, much depends on how institutions behave and political parties conduct themselves in the post-amendment era. No one can deny the fact that the amendment has been adopted in line with the parameters set in the Constitution itself and the parliament has acted well within its mandate. In a significant development, the special parliamentary committee, as envisaged in the fresh amendment, held its meeting and picked Justice Yahya Afridi for the top slot of the Supreme Court. There can be hundred and one arguments for and against the decision of the committee but it is perfectly legal. Therefore, those trying to make the issue controversial are doing no service to the system. Similarly, the amendment itself is also a reality and some segments of the legal community must shun the tendency of stirring controversies out of every move and decision. It is a universal fact that black coats are hands in glove with the judiciary on the issue of proverbial delays in dispensation of justice and it is the responsibility of the parliament as representative of the will of the people to take measures to alleviate their sufferings on this account.
There will be no outsiders in the Constitutional Benches, rather cases of constitutional nature will be heard by the same judges of the apex court. As pointed out by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, it would be a tedious task to decide on an almost daily basis which case is constitutional and which is not. Hopefully, like the Speaker of the National Assembly, who has the exclusive power to categorize a piece of legislation as a money bill, the Chief Justice of Pakistan will decide whether a case is constitutional or otherwise. Suo motu powers have been withdrawn in view of the consistent complaints that these were being used to encroach upon the powers of the parliament and the domain of the executive. As for the SCO summit, it was surely an all round success and the Prime Minister has rightly credited ministries, institutions and personalities for their role and contribution towards this end. Pakistan and China signed a number of MoUs on the occasion and the Prime Minister, as usual, is expected to personally look at the follow up process to make the outcome genuinely productive for the country. It is true that Pakistan has a clear and forthright stance on the issue of Palestine and Israeli atrocities against people of Gaza and Lebanon but as an important member of the OIC it needs to do more to help bring the ongoing bloodshed to a halt. Many members of the OIC are resourceful and they should come forward in providing prompt and effective humanitarian aid to people of Gaza and Lebanon. It is also a matter of concern that despite scores of country-wide campaigns during the last many years, the polio virus is there in some parts of the country. It is time to go deep into the causes of failure and address them squarely.
