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LAHORE: Chief Justice Supreme Court Umar Ata Bandial on Sunday said that if the Constitution demands elections to be held within 90 days of the dissolution of assemblies, the Supreme Court judges could not look for excuses.
During the seminar titled “Rights for minorities in constitution of Pakistan,” the chief justice spoke about the importance of upholding the constitution and protecting the rights of minorities.
He praised the contributions of Justice AR Cornelius, a former judge of the Supreme Court, who he said was a good jurist and simplistic.
Regarding the ongoing Punjab election case, Chief Justice Bandial said that the court was dedicated to upholding the constitution and was not seeking for any justifications. He highlighted that a court ruling would be regarded as final if it was not appealed.
The chief justice said: “When it comes to constitutional enforcement we must not blink our eyes. If it says 90 days for holding elections, [then] it is our duty to say that and not our choice, instead of finding a reason why we should avoid saying that.”
The chief justice said the matter was being called a “controversy”. “I’m sorry, I’m not worthy of controversy, I’m a very humble person. Please don’t say that you support us. I’m just one of the members of the Supreme Court. You must support the Supreme Court if you stand up for the law and the Constitution and not [for] any individual,” he added.
Last month, the Supreme Court — while hearing a PTI petition — had directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections to the Punjab Assembly on May 14. However, the government had rejected the apex court’s orders.
He stressed that every citizen had basic rights that must be protected, and it was the right of the Supreme Court to ensure that those rights were upheld.
Chief Justice Bandial emphasized the importance of resolving issues through dialogue and promoting knowledge as a means of developing the country. He reiterated that everyone was subject to the law, and when the truth was avoided, justice was avoided.
CJP Bandial said he was “optimistic” that the nation’s leaders, institutions and people were all “committed to the Constitution”.
