Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja was sworn in as the 23rd Chief Justice of Pakistan on Monday to serve in the exalted position for just 23 days until his retirement on September 10. President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, three services chiefs and federal ministers.He will figure among the chief justices who have served the briefest of tenures. Supreme Court judges retire when they meet the mandatory age limit. Justice Khawaja succeeds outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Nasirul Mulk who had an illustrious judicial career.On September 10, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali will be sworn in as the chief justice to hold the coveted slot for 15 months. The retied CJ Nasir-ul-Mulk would be remembered for some of the important judgments which have contributed to the strengthening of democracy. During last year’s sit-ins by PAT and PTI at the Constitution Avenue, the CJ passed the order restraining all state functionaries from taking any extra-constitutional steps. The order contributed to the strengthening of the system. Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk also headed the bench that rejected the plea to disqualify Nawaz Sharif for avowedly prevaricating on the floor of the National Assembly. The CJ agreed to preside over the judicial probe in the PTI’s rigging claims. All major parties subsequently hailed the judgment which is rare in Pakistan’s history. The verdict in the 18thand 21st amendment case, declaring that Parliament has the authority to bring in any constitutional amendment and the apex court is not empowered to strike it down on any ground is another judgment strengthening the system.Justice Khawaja’s 23-day tenure as CJP is too short to allow him to make any significant mark. There is a need for the Supreme Court to concentrate on improving the working of the lower judiciary to provide timely and cheap justice to the common man. The Court needs to discourage frivolous petitioners with dubious agendas from wasting its precious time. It is time political parties also learned to resolve their disputes through talks instead of taking them to the apex court.
pk.shafaqna.com
