ISLAMABAD: Outgoing Chief Justice, Mian Saqib Nisar, said on Thursday he tried to resolve issues of public importance pertaining to health, education and basic rights of citizens, within the ambit of the Constitution, ARY News reported.
“The job of judges is extremely difficult. I worked within the code of conduct for judges and it is my honour to have served the nation,” he said while addressing a full-court reference held to bid farewell to the outgoing CJP.
The ceremony was held in Islamabad and attended by all Supreme Court judges including Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor, Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Kamran Murtaza, retired senior judges as well as senior journalists, among others. Justice Nisar’s family was also in attendance.
“[Judiciary] worked for the rights of the downtrodden, granted overseas Pakistanis the right to vote and gave every person the right to live with dignity. Court also took notice of private hospital charges, issuance of national identity cards by National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to transgenders,” Justice Nisar said.
“The court also took notice of Tayyaba torture case as well as the issue of children working as domestic servants.
He added that the apex court also raised the issue of overpopulation and ordered steps for its control. “The job of judges is the most difficult,” he stated.
He said corruption within the judiciary was a murder of justice. “The judges, however, worked within the prescribed code of conduct.”
In his address, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is set to replace the outgoing CJP, said he also intended to build dam like Justice Nisar.
“I also want to clear the debt of the country,” he said, adding “I will hear pending cases lingering in the courts for years.”
Justice Khosa said three thousand judges couldn’t hear 1.9 million pending cases.
“We will try to introduce a mechanism for cases in civil courts, he added. He underlined that the suo motu notices will be taken sparingly.
