ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to dispel the impression that the recent meeting of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was part of some deal, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif continued to criticise the top judge for stepping into the domain of the legislature and the executive.

CJP Nisar looked positive after Tuesday’s meeting with PM Abbasi as during the hearing of a case regarding the appointments of administrators in a hospital working under the ministry of capital administration and development division, the chief justice expressed the hope that the government would not linger on such matters. He observed that the government was implementing court orders at a fast pace and the overall situation would improve after the meeting [with the PM].

While talking to the media after attending accountability court proceedings, Mr Sharif, however, criticised CJP Nisar for assuming the role of the legislature by striking down the amendment to the Elections Act, 2017 in order to disqualify him from holding any party office. The former PM said the CJP through excessive suo motu notices was also intervening in the executive’s domain.

“Chief Justice Sahib has taken suo motu on roads infrastructure, water supply, milk production and medical colleges, which are the subject of the executive,” insisted Mr Sharif. He said the CJP was exercising the role of the executive by frequently using the suo motu power. A suo motu notice of medical colleges including the one run by the Sharif family’s charity, Sharif Medical City, was also taken but they did not find any illegality in its affairs, he claimed. “Apparently, we were the target of this suo motu notice,” he alleged.

Says chief justice takes excessive suo motu notices to intervene in executive’s domain; Khursheed Shah terms meeting damaging for both institutions

Responding to a question about the unexpected meeting between PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and CJP Nisar, the former prime minister said: “I cannot say anything about PM Abbasi. But it is the chief justice who is continuously discussing varied topics for the past few months.

“I could digest the CJP’s intervention in the domain of the legislative and executive but the fact of the matter is that over 1.8 million cases have been pending with the judiciary for the past several decades. The litigants are waiting for decisions. Who will be responsible for redressal of their grievance? The chief justice should also consider the miseries of poor litigants,” Mr Sharif added.

“The CJP is doing everything but not what he was supposed to do,” said Mr Sharif.

However, he denied the allegation that he had agreed upon living abroad for good as a result of any deal with the powerful establishment. He said: “I am not going anywhere. I will resist any such move. Those who are spreading such information never faced such hostile cases.”

“Suffering from cancer, my wife was admitted to hospital in the UK. I went to see her and returned. Had I been planning to relocate myself abroad, I would never have returned.” .

Commenting on the latest testimony of Panamagate Joint Investigation Team head Wajid Zia, Mr Sharif said the star witness, who had vindicated him [Mr Sharif] earlier, was absolving him from the allegations. In fact the case was a fraud with him and his family, he claimed, alleging that the Panama Paper cases were instituted on the demand of his political rivals.

Mr Sharif also criticised the bench for passing “political remarks” against him and his family, asserting that no evidence was found against him.

PM-CJP meeting termed ill-timed

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah termed the unexpected meeting between PM Abbasi and CJP Nisar ill-timed, which would damage both the judiciary and the ruling party leadership.

Mr Shah was of the opinion that the heads of institutions should hold meetings to discuss key issues on a regular basis but in the prevailing state of affairs, PM Abbasi’s one-on-one meeting with CJP Nisar would be counterproductive. If this meeting was indispensable, it should have been held quietly, he added.

He highlighted the need for strengthening the judiciary and other pillars of state so that no one would look for NRO-like deals in future.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2018