Courts work round the clock, no one needs to point finger
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial observed on Monday that the recent campaigns being run against judges did not bother them as they consider protecting and preserving the Constitution their duty, adding that the court functions 24 hours in this regard.
The CJP also expressed hope for the apex court’s judgments to be respected.
Justice Bandial’s remarks came as a five-judge larger SC bench resumed hearing on the presidential reference concerning the interpretation and scope of Article 63(A), filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf against dissident lawmakers’ defections. “We expect the political leaders to have the courage to defend the judgment,” the chief justice said, questioning the point of the court’s intervention in political crises “if 5,000 to 10,000 people are eventually going to gather and start criticising their judgments and not accept them”.
“Why should we announce judgments?” Justice Bandial asked. The chief justice went on to add that the judges were the guardians of the Constitution.
“I am requesting political parties to defend the parliamentary form of system,” the CJP maintained.
A member of the bench, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail asked why the court should step in if the parliament did not mention lifetime disqualification in the Constitution on account of defecting lawmakers.
No one needs to point a finger at the courts, CJP Bandial said during the hearing of a presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
