A new chief justice

Pakistan has a new chief justice at the top court. Justice Gulzar Ahmed has taken oath as the 27^th Chief Justice of Pakistan. His tenure will be compared to either his immediate predecessor Asif Saeed Khosa or the proactive Mian Saqib Nisar.

Justice Khosa didn’t take any suo motu notices in his eleven-month long term. He had already given an indication before he was sworn in that suo motu powers will be used sparingly in his tenure. He also refrained from giving any media statements or any unexpected visits that were the hallmark of Saqib Nisar’s tenure. Justice Khosa, on the other hand, believed that he did what was right irrespective of the consequences 

Before CJP Khosa assumed office, he was on the Supreme Court bench that overturned the death penalty awarded to the Christian woman Asiya Bibi accused of blasphemy. He was also part of the bench that maintained the death sentence to Mumtaz Qadri. The case was deeply sensitive but the judges remain steadfast on their rulings.

The last few weeks of Justice Khosa’s hearings defined his tenure. He made headlines when he took up a petition regarding an extension in the chief of army staff’s tenure.  In an unprecedented move, he suspended the notification regarding the extension. This nearly led to a clash of institutions until he eventually gave the government six months to legislate over the ambiguous law.

His was a historic judgment as the matter regarding the army chief’s extension was discussed for the first time in public circles and the media. He is also said to have played a key role in fast tracking the trial case against former military ruler General retired Pervez Musharraf. The judge wanted the six-year-old case to be concluded before his retirement.  In November, he mentioned sending two prime ministers packaging and would soon decide the case against the former army chief. These will be defining moments of his legacy.

Justice Gulzar, who hails from Karachi, is likely to pass ruling to improve the city. He has called for restoring Karachi to how it was forty years ago, demolishing illegal constructions, and removing encroachments. It needs to be seen how the new top judge will build his own legacy.