ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said on Tuesday he had no relationship with his predecessor Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Justice Khawaja also said he has not held a meeting with the former chief justice of Pakistan, but added that he had resigned as a high court judge after hearing about his forced removal from office. The chief justice made the pronouncement during the hearing of Advocate Ali Zafar contempt of court case. The court asked legal expert Latif Afridi to review the entire matter by Friday and decide who is right. In his remarks Justice Khawaja said the reputation of an organisation is more important than designations. He said over 7,500 complaints have been filed against lawyers, as disciplinary tribunals are out of order.
“Stopping corruption is our duty for which we are paid and provided privileges,” Justice Khawaja said. Meanwhile, Justice Dost Muhammad Khosa warned the country would face a revolution if government organisations continue looting public money. “Every inch of this country is owned by the people and the government is its guard. Rulers bulldoze homes in slums in the name of rule of law, while the greenbelts and footpaths have been occupied with the help of Capital Development Authority (CDA) by land mafias.”
Justice Dost Muhammad Khosa noted the country has been facing floods every year due to deforestation from Chitral to Gilgit, which have swept away houses and livestock of the poor. He said land mafia is working in Punjab, while the forest mafia is working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While noting that media has freedom of expression, but with limits, Justice Qazi Faiz Essa said it should not publish request of adjournment that creates an impression of disrespect to the court.
Asma Jehangir, the counsel for Advocate Ali Zafar, said the bench and bar both will have to maintain relationship of respect, adding coverage of news regarding court proceedings started with the consent of judges. She argued that it is time to resolve issues between the bench and bar, and as lawyers they are bound to follow the laws. She asked the court to explain limits of freedom of expression of lawyers, explaining that Advocate Ali Zafar was at general adjournment and his associate Raja Khalid Zafar wrote a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan. She explained that Ali Zafar didn’t direct for the letter, adding that Khalid Zafar accepted the mistake in this matter.