Daily Times

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed has come down hard on the federal government over its inability to contain the novel coronavirus at the border, leading to an outbreak in the country.

According to reports, the total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 287 in the country with 208 cases in Sindh while Punjab has 28, KP reported 19, Balochistan has 16, Islamabad two, Gilgit-Baltistan 14 and none in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

He was referring to the pilgrim influx from Iran through the Taftan border. Almost half of the Zaireen, who are kept at a largely mismanaged tent city at the border, have tested positive for the virus.

The top judge was also irked by the National Security Committee’s (NSC) request to adjourn civil cases and instruct magistrates and sessions judges to conduct hearings at prisons for three weeks. He observed that the authorities had not made arrangements to minimise the risk instead asked the judges to suspend judicial work.

The chief justice made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by Air Marshal Arshad Malik seeking a stay against Sindh High Court’s December 2019 order restraining him from working as the chief executive officer of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The SHC decision came on a petition filed by the secretary general of PIA’s Senior Staff Association (SASA). Subsequently, the PIA moved the Supreme Court against the SHC order and the top court bench – also comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah – clubbed Malik’s petition with a suo motu case pertaining to the PIA’s losses.

In today’s hearing, the apex court allowed Malik to continue working as the national carrier’s CEO after hearing arguments from Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan. However, the bench refused to suspend the SHC order against Malik.

It is learnt that Malik was unwilling to leave Pakistan Air Force (PAF). In the hearing the attorney general informed the bench of the officer’s competency.

In an earlier hearing, the bench had noted that the national flag carrier would need a fulltime manager and directed Malik to choose between PIA and PAF.