LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday ordered the removal of security barricades from several key sites in the city, including the residences of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The orders came as a three-member apex court bench began hearing a suo motu case on several issues of public welfare, including provision of clean drinking water, for which Shehbaz Sharif was present in the court’s Lahore Registry. The court ordered the authorities to remove barricades from outside Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umra residence, Shehbaz’s Model Town residence and office, Governor House, Aiwan-e-Iqbal, the residence and seminary – Jamia Al Qadsia – of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station, passport office and other sites. The chief justice directed the home department to assure the bench that the barricades will be removed by midnight. When the additional home secretary explained to the court that the barricades have been erected due to security concerns, the chief justice remarked, “I have threats too, you should alert your forces”. He observed further that they will review the issue of barricades outside offices of security agencies and then make a decision on their removal. The chief justice thanked Shehbaz Sharif for appearing in the court and remarked that the point was not to indulge in politics, adding that the judiciary and executive needed to work together to safeguard public’s rights. During the hearing, the chief minister informed the court about the various power and water development projects underway in Punjab, which was appreciated by the bench. Addressing Shehbaz, the chief justice remarked that whoever comes to power should seriously consider making him the prime minister, to which Shehbaz replied, “Why are you after my job”. The chief justice responded that “your own people are after you”. The chief justice also remarked during the hearing that “I assure you there will be free and fair elections in the country from now on. I keep repeating this”. With regards to the clean water case, the chief justice remarked that the water in his own chamber was found contaminated. Shehbaz assured the court to resolve the problem. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sought three-week time to submit a comprehensive plan to address the issue of drainage of polluted water in the provincial capital of Punjab. The chief justice also took suo motu notice of extrajudicial police encounters in Punjab. In his remarks, He said he wanted to know how many people had been killed in police encounters. The CJP directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz to submit a detailed report of all police encounters in the province within a week. Rejecting a request by IG Nawaz to extend deadline by one week, the court observed that the high-ranking police official should have the information regarding police encounters on their fingertips. Published in Daily Times, February 12th 2018.