During the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed his frustration over delays in judicial matters and the lack of adherence to rules by some judges.
He questioned how the judiciary can hold others accountable while failing to follow the rules themselves.
"If our judges will not follow the rules, then who will? We hold others accountable but don't hold ourselves accountable," the CJP remarked.
The remarks came during the hearing of an appeal against the acceptance of nomination papers of Dr. Fehmida and Zulfiqar Mirza. The petitioner’s lawyer, Farooq H. Naik, read out a detailed high court decision, at which CJP Isa inquired about the date on the judgement. When informed that no date was included, the CJP sharply criticized the practice.
"How can judges expect others to follow the rules if they don’t follow them themselves?" the CJP said. He noted that in this case, a detailed decision was issued six months after the short order, without including the date, a failure that directly affects people's rights.
The case, filed by petitioner Sajjad Ali Khan, was heard by a three-member bench headed by the chief justice. After hearing the arguments, the bench disposed of the petition following its withdrawal.
