CHITRAL: Supreme Court Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday said no compromise or laxitywas possible on the conservation of water in the country when it was fast running out.

“It’s our duty to leave a legacy of large water reservoirs for future generations instead of Rs170,000 debt for every newborn,” he told a district bar association function here.

The chief justice highlighted the importance of water conservation.

Take a look: CJP hints at charging dam opponents with treason

Without naming the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams for which donations are being collected at the national level, he asked the people to rise to the occasion and do their best for the successful execution of the two projects.

Announces action on Chitral’s bad roads, orders appointment of staff to DHQ hospital

“It is the passion of patriotism that works. The day it is awakened, all issues and problems faced by the country will peter out and we will be able to break free from the yoke of foreign debt, which has risked our security,” he said.

The chief justice said if the people showed integrity and uprightness, the nation’s growing issues would be resolved.

He said when the people renounced corruption and began despising corrupt people, the nation’s journey of progress and prosperity would begin.

“We should begin this from ourselves and at our homes,” he said.

The chief justice said the enemy knew that it couldn’t subdue Pakistanis by force and therefore, it in a bid to weaken the country took to the ruse of creating schism in the nation on flimsy grounds.

“The patriotic people are aware of all such evil designs of the enemy and are trying to foil them,” he said, adding that it was heartening and inspiring to see the high degree of patriotism among the people of Chitral.

Emphasising cordial relations between the bar and the bench, he said as a judge, he had never differentiated between the two as the ultimate end of both was to dispense justice to the people.

He said the bar and the bench were like two organs of the body.

The chief justice came hard on the successive governments over poor road infrastructure in Chitral district and said he was highly disappointed to see the area even without basic facilities of life.

“In this century, the Chitral roads can be used by mules only. Such a situation is tantamount to denying local residents the basic rights promised by the Constitution,” he said, adding that he was going to take action on the matter.

The chief justice said equal opportunities of development were the constitutional right of all citizens and keeping a certain area backward and subjecting it to discrimination was intolerable.

Saying there seems to be no valid reason for the Lowari tunnel’s closure for motorists and commuters, he asked the National Highway Authority chairman to explain his position on the matter.

The chief justice gave the government three month to address the shortage of medical specialists, doctors, medicines and equipment at the DHQ hospital, which he earlier visited.

Acting on the request of lawyers, he directed the Peshawar High Court chief justice to ensure regular hearing into cases by the Chitral Circuit Bench.

The chief justice later visited the Kalash valley before leaving for Islamabad by road. He visited the district for three days.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2018