how to deal with our supreme court

[Reza_Pahlavi]

Re: how to deal with our supreme court

A comment by a correspondent in the Nation today:-

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/aug-2007/24/index5.php

When they talk of judicial activism, the constitutional experts are no less appreciative of Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday who was heading the 13-judge bench that restored Chief Justice of Pakistan by knocking down a presidential reference against him. “Ramday has now held the bar too high and all his brother judges have to keep up to the standard”, said an expert, fearing a massive backlash from public in case the judiciary tumbles down in any test of time.

The Supreme Court is one of the three constitutional pillars of the state, and alone it cannot fulfill the desires of close to 170 million people. Very soon (I give it 6 months) this Supreme Court under this very CJ could be attacked and vilified in many parts of Pakistan - if it tries to be the sole champion of the people. The judges alone can only do so much, and can never fulfill the aspirations and desires of the vast bulk of the people. We are inherently a “na shukr” nation who want instant remedies to our ills. It is the job of the leaders, govt and parliament as the representatives of the people to do that.

While it is essential it acts as a checks and balance on other the other pillars, the Supreme Court must not be seek to them confront them directly, and end in bitter deadlock with them. When it last did that it ended up being attacked physically by Nawaz Sharif’s goons, and its’ CJ being turfed out of office. I pray that this CJ or at least his brother judges have a sense of history and responsibility, otherwise they may end up losing their hard won indepedence in a dirty fight with other institutions.