Justice Isa clarifies his participation in the NA moot.
In response to criticism, a senior judge claims he was guaranteed there would be no political remarks at the NA convention.
ISLAMABAD: Senior Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa clarified his position on Tuesday in response to criticism regarding his attendance at a National Assembly event honouring the Pakistani Constitution’s Golden Jubilee.
Concerns that judges should maintain their impartiality and avoid giving the impression that they are associated with a certain political party or organisation are what led to the issue surrounding Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s attendance at the National Assembly moot.
Legal and political commentators contend that Justice Isa’s attendance at the event and seating next to politicians compromises the perception of the judiciary’s independence and neutrality, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest and the judiciary’s capacity to render impartial judgements.
Despite invitations being extended to all of the Supreme Court judges, only Justice Isa, who commuted by foot from the Supreme Court building to the Parliament House, attended the National Constitution Convention (NCC) on Monday.
The senior judge clarified on Tuesday that he had asked about the event’s nature before accepting the invitation and received assurances that there would be no political statements and that just the Constitution and its creation would be discussed.
He claimed that the programme supplied to him also verified these circumstances.
He clarified, “I accepted the invitation as I wanted to express unity with the Constitution. This point was resolved, first by my staff with the Deputy Director of the National Assembly, and then by me directly with the Speaker.
However, he asked to speak when political statements were made in a few speeches so that he might clear up any misunderstandings that might have occurred.
“I was asked to speak, but I declined because I didn’t want to. However, I requested to speak to clear up any misunderstandings that may have arisen when political sentiments were made (in a few of the speeches), and I did so,” he said.
The senior judge stated that he would have wanted to sit in the hall on one side or in the gallery, but he chose to be situated in the middle out of respect for those around him.
I wasn’t given the option to sit in the centre; it was done out of respect for a member of the judiciary, he claimed.
“Directly elected representatives of the people from all political persuasions unanimously adopted the Constitution, demonstrating their cunning. It supported the founding fathers’ mantra for success: “Unity, Faith, and Discipline.” It demonstrated that, when the needs of the people are put first, even the most difficult situations can be resolved with enthusiasm and honesty. If I may add, the elected officials of the people deserve our utmost respect. We would not have achieved independence without the politicians of the All India Muslim League, he said.
He added that everyone should understand the importance of the Constitution and that elected officials deserve to be treated with respect.
“The Convention’s organisers had invited everyone to mark a particularly significant day in Pakistan’s history. The Golden Jubilee of the Constitution is a celebration of all citizens; no one political party or institution has exclusive rights to it. All people need to be made aware of the Constitution’s importance, and this should be done consistently, he said.
“Pakistan split apart when there was no constitution adopted by the people’s directly elected representatives. The long-standing error was ultimately corrected, and the fundamental rights of the people were recognised and established in the Constitution, 50 years ago. Respect for the Constitution is essential for everyone in Pakistan.
“It is best for citizens if seeds of strife are not sown. One of the most important events in our history, the creation of the Constitution ought to be honored, he said.
Bar Council petitions SJC to overrule Justice Isa
On Tuesday, the Gujranwala District Bar Council complained to the Supreme Judicial Council and asked that Justice Qazi Faez Isa be fired from his position.
Justice Isa was accused of breaking the Judges’ Code of Conduct by attending the legislative gathering and interacting with dishonest lawmakers, according to the complaint. The case also makes the claim that Justice Isa’s actions violate the constitutional guarantee of the separation of powers between the executive and judicial arms of government.
All of the Supreme Judicial Council’s members have received copies of the complaint.
On the other hand, Justice Isa has been called into question for bias in Parliament by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhary criticised the senior supreme court judge for sitting with politicians during his visit to Parliament while speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the Lahore High Court. He demanded Justice Esa’s resignation, stating that by doing so, the Supreme Court was made fun of and that Esa shown bias.
