LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday constituted a committee headed by Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad and directed it to come up with a way forward to ensure provision of education to every child of the country.

The chief justice was heading a three-judge bench seized with a suo motu notice on provision of basic education to every child aged between five and 16 years. Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan were other members of the bench. The HEC chairman was present in the court when the bench resumed the hearing.

The chief justice expressed his pledge to enforce standard of one book, one bag and one uniform in schools of the whole country.

The CJP also appointed Barrister Bilal Minto as amicus curiae to assist the court and the committee as well to ensure implementation of Article 25-A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to education.

The court directed the committee to hold their meetings, select educated members and provide a road map in a month as to how the education could be provided to every child in the country.

probe against RPO: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday ordered Punjab Inspector General of Police Arif Nawaz to hold an inquiry against Bahawalpur regional police officer on charges of misuse of power.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was hearing a matter against a pharmaceutical company named M/S Everest involved in spurious medicine business.

Previously a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), in compliance with the court’s order, sealed the company and arrested its owner Muhammad Usman, who happened to be brother-in-law of the RPO Raja Riffat.

The police officer was accused of misusing his office to hamper the course of law to protect his relative.

Chief Justice Nisar observed that several FIRs were registered against the officials of the Drap and the NAB also issued summons to them soon after the action taken against the pharmaceutical company.

He pointed out that even federal health secretary also conceded before the court that the state had totally failed to take action against the said company.

“Who has been causing this harassment to the government institutions?,” the chief justice questioned the IGP.

“We get disconnected from our immediate family even,” CJP Nisar observed, while referring to the judges of the superior courts. How a public servant could think of obstructing the process of law, he further asked the police chief.

IGP Nawaz assured the CJP that the officer was not involved in harassment of any other department or misusing his authority. However, he said there must be an inquiry into the allegations against the officer.

The chief justice ordered the IGP to hold an inquiry into the charges and submit a report by March 12, when the hearing would be resumed at Islamabad seat.

The CJP, however, abstained from issuing any direct order for the suspension of the RPO, letting the IG to decide whether an officer under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court should be allowed to work.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2018