Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Supreme Judicial Council
I believe that the Supreme Judicial Council of Pakistan, created under Article 209 of the Constitution of Pakistan, is an independent body where decisions are made either by consensus or majority. All judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and High Courts are custodians of the Constitution with powers to interpret them and provide justice to all citizens and uphold rule of law.
All discretionary powers must be exercised within the confines of the Constitution. The recent news report citing the address of Chief Justice of Pakistan while addressing a Full Court Reference on the eve of the beginning of the new judicial year raises eyebrows. If the Judicial Commission of Pakistan differed with the nominated-judges for appointment to Supreme Court, the matter should have rested there, until such time a new decision is made in accordance with rules, norms and the Constitution. It is the Law and Constitution that must triumph.
This country has suffered a lot for not adopting Quaid’s vision, that Pakistan must be a modern democratic welfare state, with a Constitution, as supreme law and all institutions of the State, namely Executive, Judiciary and Parliament working within confines of their defined jurisdiction elaborated in the Constitution. The Judiciary must give judgments based solely on the Constitution with no resort to Doctrine of Necessity.
Former CJ US Supreme Court Justice Marshall while citing Latin Legal Phrase Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum stated, Let Justice Be Done, Though the Heavens Fall. If only Justice Munir had followed this dictum in Maulvi Tamizuddin Case and the same had been adopted by others, Pakistan would have been saved from humiliations it has suffered, citizens basic constitutional rights assured and our economic and geographical sovereignty secured.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Natural calamity
We never learn from the past. We only respond to disasters and that too in an amateur and inept manner. The recent floods have wiped out thousands of houses and commercial buildings in parts of Pakistan, thousands have lost their lives and millions are displaced— living without food, water, shelter and other amenities. Floods are a calamity, indeed, but they are also an outcome of mismanagement, corruption and poor planning. Successive Governments have spent billions on mega projects but none of them ever prioritized protecting us from natural disasters. Experts had been warning since long that the country is among those few which are the most vulnerable to the havoc that climate change may wreak. But these warnings, as usual, have fallen on deaf ears and those at the helm of affairs have once again demonstrated that they are not prepared to leave their cozy surroundings to discharge their responsibilities.
Lack of preparedness is manifested each time. The only thing that the rulers and administrators seem fond of doing is: visit the affected areas, taking aerial view, making a show of distributing food among the affected people, issuing statements and indulging in the usual blame game. Each time, promises to enhance our capabilities to mitigate the negative effects of future calamities, are made. However, nothing is done practically. Once we are under the clouds, we are unabashedly told that it is the will of God to make us suffer and the authorities are ABSOLUTELY innocent.
We never give the impression that we are a proactive nation, preparing in advance and taking on the responsibility of safeguarding our land and our people from disasters. It is indispensable to learn from our past mistakes and devise a comprehensive plan for minimising future damages. It is only the will of those at the helm of affairs that can make this happen. Let us make a commitment not to giving others the impression that we are a reactive nation that never learns from its past to prepare for the future.
SHAKEEL GHOURI
Digri, Mirpurkhas
Rights, Karachi and rallies
I read your daily regularly. I am very happy to see that you have dedicated a page of your newspaper for publication of public complaints and issues so that people’s problems can reach the concerned authorities in an efficient manner. Almost all the political parties in Karachi, though in separate words and sentences, definitely believe that Karachi is not getting its rights. The way of doing politics, stance and ideas of these parties may be different but they seem to believe that what is happening in Karachi is wrong.
For the rights of Karachi, to shine their politics or to keep their politics alive, these different parties keep holding rallies, processions and other political events. But the situation is that Karachi, which pays 60 to 70 percent of the country’s taxes and runs the economy, is now tired of the jalsa and procession culture.
Now there is a need for practical measures, not rallies. I hope that you will be the means of conveying my request to the higher authorities and that the concerned authorities will realize the sensitivity of the matter and will take effective steps to solve this problem with a sense of responsibility only,
FARHEEN AKBAR
Karachi
