ISLAMABAD:Despite the former’s judicial activism since March 2009, the Pakistan Peoples Party is yet to incur the wrath of the Supreme Court.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhotto Zardari is consistently presenting a chargesheet against the superior judiciary on judicial overreach on matters related to governance, maladministration and several legislations since the restoration of superior judiciary led by former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
There is an impression that PPP is availing opportunity to hold the incumbent superior judiciary accountable for actions taken by former chief justices against the party.
PPP is leading the task to establish the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) as per the Charter of Democracy (COD). However, there is visible change in the judiciary’s approach over the last couple of years. Majority of SC judges are accepting the parliament’s authority on legislation.
Ten SC judges had endorsed the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023. Likewise, it has also been observed that majority of SC judges are not following the judicial activism witnessed during the tenures of ex CJPs Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Saqib Nisar.
Several lawyers believe that the aim of FCC creation is merely to control independent judges. They wonder why political leaders are silent regarding the coercive actions taken to secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Former Additional Attorney General Tariq Mahmood Khokhar sys that for far too long, the PPP has suffered destruction, judicial murders, and crimes committed in the name of the law at the hands of an alliance between the judiciary and extra-constitutionalists. However, what was truly being undermined was the rule of law and democracy.
“History is repeating itself, but with a twist: the PPP is no longer the victim; it has become a collaborator against the PTI, the rule of law, and democracy. It seeks to undermine the judiciary through constitutional amendments,” he adds.
Khokhar stated that it is disgraceful for a party with a history of struggle and being a recent beneficiary of the judicial decisions of independent and impartial judges to take such actions. “PPP seems to be oblivious to the fact that not all judicial office holders are willing to kowtow the holders of power and their minions,” he states
It is an open secret that PPP remained victim of judicial activism during ex CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry’s era.. It is also well known that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was close to the ex-chief justice throughout his tenure.
