ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Tuesday said he regretted things had come to a pretty pass in the country and the atmosphere was such that one could not freely talk about anything.
Criticising the introduction of laws through ordinances, he said it amounted to usurping the job of parliament. “Shut down the parliament if laws are to be introduced through ordinances,” he remarked during a hearing of a case about the cutting of forests in KP.
The court rejected applications filed by the petitioners, who claimed to be owners of forest land. The bench observed that the petitioners had not asked to be given their share at any level during the hearing of case.
Justice Isa told the petitioners that they did not have a right to claim the land and that the government should have filed a review petition in the case. He asked the government representative as to why the order in the case issued in 2013 had not been implemented. “Protection of forests is important for the future of upcoming generations,” the judge said, adding that all laws relating to forests in the country were instead designed to protect corruption.
He said the rulers were engrossed in other issues when the real issue was protection of the environment. He further inquired why an important law concerning forests was instituted through an ordinance.
Noting that the forests in KP and Gilgit-Baltistan were dwindling, Justice Isa said, “No one is ready to touch a law introduced by a dictator. A dictator comes and takes two minutes to do away with parliament. The country’s prevailing atmosphere is such that one cannot freely talk about anything.”
He added every person involved in the cases concerning forests was a liar. Those cutting forests are murdering generations, he added.