Daily Times

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday called on Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan in Konya, Turkey.

During the meeting, the chief justice highlighted the special love and affection between the people of Pakistan and Turkey.

President Erdogan also expressed his warm sentiments for the people of Pakistan and welcomed the chief justice to the city of Moulana Rumi.

The chief justice later participated in the ‘Seb-i-Arus’ being held in Konya to commemorate the death anniversary of renowned Sufi saint and poet Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi and witnessed the ‘samah’ ceremony as part of the commemorative events.

Earlier in the day, the chief justice held a meeting with President of the Turkish Constitutional Court Prof Dr Zuhtu Arslan in Ankara. The two sides exchanged views on legal and judicial matters of mutual interest. The chief justice briefed his Turkish counterpart on the working of the judicial system of Pakistan. He also outlined the initiatives being taken by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in furtherance of the fundamental rights of the people.

He emphasized that promotion and protection of the fundamental rights of the common citizens of Pakistan remained the highest priority for the Supreme Court, as provision of those rights had a direct impact on the lives of the common citizens. He said the Supreme Court was working to ensure that the Executive would take all possible measures to uphold the fundamental rights. In this regard, he briefed Prof Dr Arslan regarding his initiatives for water management, population control, provision of health facilities and ensure justice and rule of law.

Dr Zuhtu Arslan briefed the chief justice on the working of the Turkish judicial system, informing that the Turkish Constitutional Court system was one of the oldest in the Europe. The two sides agreed to further strengthen institutional collaborations between the highest courts of the two countries. The chief justice is currently on an official visit to Turkey at the invitation of the president of the Constitutional Court of Turkey.

Published in Daily Times, December 19^th2018.