Pakistan is passing through complicated era: Chief Justice

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Thursday that the country was passing through a complicated era of its history as corruption had paralyzed its economic development.

Addressing a full court reference in honour of outgoing Supreme Court Judge Justice Tariq Pervez, the CJ said: “ Kidnapping for ransom, nepotism, forced disappearances, targeted killings, corruption and power crisis have paralyzed economic development”.

He said the judiciary was not meant to oppose other two pillars of the state (legislature and administration) instead it was supposed to check misuse of authority by the state institutions.

The chief justice sad judiciary was working independently and there was no such example in Pakistan’s history.

He reiterated that there was a dire need to fill the vacant posts in the Supreme Court, adding that absence of Judicial Commission members from its meeting affects ability to appointment of judges.

Mr Chaudhry said the Attorney General and provincial and federal ministers were absent from the last JC meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Attorney General Irfan Qadir said SC orders of July 31,2009, created gulf between the bar and the bench and efforts were needed to unite them again.