By During a Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa voiced frustration over delays in judicial proceedings and non-compliance with rules by some judges. He raised concerns about the judiciary’s ability to hold others accountable while failing to follow its own rules.
“If our judges don’t follow the rules, who will? We expect others to be accountable but don’t hold ourselves to the same standard,” remarked CJP Isa.
The comments came during an appeal against the acceptance of nomination papers for Dr. Fehmida and Zulfiqar Mirza. The petitioner’s lawyer, Farooq H. Naik, read out a high court decision, prompting CJP Isa to ask about the date on the judgment. When informed that no date was included, the CJP criticized the omission, stressing the importance of adhering to legal protocols.
CJP Isa noted that in this instance, a detailed decision was issued six months after the short order, without a date, directly impacting people’s rights.
The case, brought by petitioner Sajjad Ali Khan, was heard by a three-member bench led by the chief justice. After hearing the arguments, the petition was withdrawn and the case was disposed of.
