ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan is not the judiciary’s Ladla (blue-eyed), negating the impression that the apex court has been “facilitating” his political fight against his rivals.

“Time and again an impression is created that the apex court is giving special treatment to Imran Khan,” said the CJP while hearing a case related to ‘ill-planned’ constructions in Banigala where the PTI chairman lives in a palatial hilltop house.

“Where have we made Imran Khan our Ladla? Where have we given him concessions?” CJP Nisar asked Federal Minister for Capital Administration & Devel­opment Division (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry after calling him to rostrum.

The chief justice then questioned the minister if the bungalow of Mr Khan had been regularised by the apex court or by the government. The minister admitted that the PTI chief’s residence had been regularised by his ministry along with the houses of around a million other people living in the area which had remained ignored by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for a long time.

Justice Nisar temporarily bars PIA from replacing logo on aircraft tail

Banigala is a huge area in the federal capital where ill-planned construction has continued for decades as the city managers did not stop such activities apparently due to the influence of some ‘bigwigs’ residing in the area.

On the CJP’s assertion, as the federal minister repeated his statement before the court, the top judge said: “Imran Khan is not our Ladla”.

CJP Nisar then asked him why Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had been giving statements that Mr Khan was judiciary’s blue-eyed.

He went on to say: “The statements issued in this regard are incorrect. Let’s call Marriyum Aurangzeb and show her the CADD minister’s statement.

“Why do you want to defame the courts?” the CJP questioned the federal minister.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supreme leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz has been criticising the judiciary for what they called double standards following the Panamagate verdict that had resulted in the ouster of then PM Sharif. Both the PML-N leaders have often called PTI chief Imran Khan “Ladla”.

CJP Nisar, heading a three-member bench, was hearing a suo motu case based on a letter of Mr Khan who had invited court’s attention towards the large-scale encroachment on the botanical garden, unchecked and unplanned construction in Banigala, massive tree felling and sewage polluting Rawal Lake.

The counsel for Mr Khan, Babar Awan, said the information minister should not have passed derogatory remarks against the judiciary.

The lawyer argued that so far the CADD ministry had not sent the Banigala construction regularisation issue to the federal cabinet for approval. However, the CADD minister said a summary had been sent to the cabinet regarding regularization of the built-up properties in Banigala. The documents of Mr Khan’s residence could not be verified because the case was sub judice, he said.

When the minister said Mr Khan had submitted forged documents to the court, the chief justice asked him what action the government had taken if Mr Khan’s documents had been found fake. “The government is supposed to take action on such matters [Banigala constructions]. What can we do when the government does not take action?” the chief justice argued.

“The court had not restrained you from taking action. You are free to proceed with legal action if you intend to do so,” the CJP said while addressing the federal minister.

The chief justice then ordered that the issue of constructions along Korang Nullah be referred to the federal ombudsman and asked all affected persons to submit their applications before the ombudsman within two days.

PIA logo

While hearing a separate suo motu case related to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the chief justice temporarily barred the national flag carrier from replacing the national flag on aircraft tail with an image of the national animal, Markhor.

He ordered the PIA administration to halt revamp of its aircraft until a report on the matter was submitted in the court. “We have found out that you are replacing our national flag with the picture of an [national] animal,” the chief justice said to the PIA official in the courtroom.

The PIA managing director was ordered by the chief justice to present a report regarding the award of a contract for pasting Markhor stickers on the planes.

When the chief justice asked about the cost of replacing the mascot, a senior official said it required Rs2.7 million to place the sticker on the tail of each plane. Unconvinced by the answer, CJP Nisar said rebranding of each plane would ‘actually cost Rs3.4 million’.

CJP Nisar also took the PIA MD to task about the delay in his flight from Karachi to Islamabad on Saturday.

“Do you know what time I reached Islamabad yesterday? Why was my flight late by two-and-a-half hours?” the CJP asked.

On this, he was told that the flight was delayed due to technical reasons.

In another case, the apex court issued notices to 222 people for having allegedly obtained Rs88 billion loans and managed to get them write off. While directing the respondents to appear in person, the court fixed hearing of the case on June 8.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018