In a surprise move amid heightened tensions between the ruling party and the judiciary, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi dashed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to have his first one-on-one meeting with Chief Justice Saqib Nisar.
Official sources confirmed yesterday that the meeting took place late in the night on
Tuesday.
The unexpected meeting between the heads of the two institutions which continued for some hours may help in defusing the perceived tension between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the judiciary and in lowering political temperature especially against the backdrop of criticism of the judiciary by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other relatives facing corruption charges in an accountability court, legal observers believe.
Analysts see the move as part of an effort by the prime minister to convince the judiciary that the PML-N government does not want to confront it and to communicate the difficulties the government faces due to judiciary’s active role in questioning the quality of
governance.
The initiative came against the backdrop of Abbasi’s recent interview to a private TV channel in which he said that his government was ready to initiate a dialogue with any institution.
The same offer had been extended by Sharif while talking to the media outside the accountability court where he had come to face corruption references against him.
The meeting was not unprecedented as a similar interaction took place between the then prime minister Yousuf Gilani and the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in February 2010 at the height of tension on the appointment of judges. A three-hour-long follow-up meeting was held over a dinner the next evening.
Meanwhile, an official handout issued by the Supreme Court said the meeting was arranged on the prime minister’s request received through Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf. It was held in a cordial atmosphere in the
chambers of the chief justice.
The handout stated the prime minister showed keen interest in providing all possible assistance in revamping the judicial system as visualised by the chief justice.
The prime minister assured the top judge that the government would provide all resources to the judiciary in order to enable it to provide speedy and inexpensive justice in addition to facilitating easy access of justice to the people.
Abbasi also highlighted difficulties of the Federal Board of Revenue and the tax department due to litigation involving revenue in different courts. The chief justice assured the prime minister that he would look into the matter and such litigation would be fast-tracked.
The prime minister pledged full support for public interest litigation initiatives undertaken by the chief justice. He assured that all steps would be taken to materialise the chief justice’s vision with respect to free education, public health, improvements in government hospitals and provision of quality and affordable health services, revamping medical education especially in private medical colleges, provision of clean drinking water, better sanitation and
protection of environment.
According to the Supreme Court’s handout, Abbasi also told Nisar that the Council of Common Interest had approved national water policy that would help in fruition of the chief justice’s efforts in that direction.
The chief justice assured the prime minister that the judiciary would continue to perform its constitutional duties independently, fairly, transparently, without fear or favour and strictly in accordance with law.
Sources in the PM Office said this was not a planned meeting since no one in the bureaucracy was aware of the prime minister’s plan to meet the chief justice until the last minute. The prime minister went to the Supreme Court in a private car without his protocol.