Adil Najam
Today (Monday) was supposed to be the big showdown between the Supreme Court and the Government on the question of the legality of the 18th Amendment. The date for that showdown has been pushed forward to the end of the month. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is supposed to be anther big showdown between the Supreme Court and the Government; on the issue of the NRO and its beneficiaries.
Irrespective of the questions about which way either of these should or would go (or why), one looks at the news and wonders if this tension and tussle between the Supreme Judiciary and the Government has gone too far. We thought we should ask you: is this good, bad, or outright ugly?
More importantly, what might be the impacts of these developments on the institutional structures and precedents in Pakistan. Is this a sign of a maturing institutional landscape where a new balance of power and a system of checks and balances is emerging? Or is this a sign of impending breakdown of the institutional balance?
What do you think. Especially, what do you think about the longer-range impacts of these developments. No matter how these cases end, will they leave Pakistan’s politics stronger, or weaker? And why?
First, Supreme court should put its own house in order by reforming lower judiciary. Thats where the relief will come for the wretched and dispossessed”awam”. On the contrary, it is currently acting as an institution that is exclusively working for “ashrafiya”- the elite.
Secondly, Justice should be dispensed transparently, evenhandedly and across the board, something that is missing in the present phase of judicial activism. To show its impartiality, Judiciary should move with a matching speed in Asghar Khan case, missing persons case and Hudaibiya paper mill case.
Prof Najam, you are a smart guy, but I cannot understand what you are doing here. Put in more posts on FB issue, no matter what, or the Fauzia Wahab issue. That is surest way to get more hits that is what everyone else is doing. Why not you?
What is happening now is judicial activism. Judiciary is stepping out of its boundries. Country needs stability and judiciary is providing ample reasons for another period of uncertainity. Some politicians are loving it as they see advantage to themselves. Politicians are being given another reason for inaction. suffering in the country goes on unabated
Depends entirely on the way it is conducted. I am in favor of strengthening institutions and bringing corrupt officials to account; however, I also believe that selective prosecution is far more dangerous than no prosecution. So if CJ and company simply target the PPP, and give the Sharif brothers who we know are just as corrupt a free pass, then it can create another dimension of serious chaos.
I think this is a good thing and our institutions will be strengthened by this. No matter what the result.