Outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan, Umar Ata Bandial, expressed his confusion as to why there is a dispute regarding the timeline set for elections. According to the Constitution, elections should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assemblies. Speaking at a farewell dinner hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the CJP emphasized that adhering strictly to the Constitution and the law would prevent litigation from burdening the superior courts.
The Chief Justice-designate, Qazi Faez Isa, arrived late to the dinner for the sake of propriety. As one of the petitioners with pending cases before the apex court, he believed it was not appropriate for him to be present during the speeches.
CJP Bandial mentioned his involvement in the lawyers’ movement 15 years ago, which aimed to restore the independent judiciary in 2007. He referred to himself as one of the last “dinosaurs” who joined the judiciary after the movement’s success. Concluding his speech, he acknowledged that he might no longer be part of the judiciary after his retirement on September 16.
Highlighting the role of the Supreme Court as the custodian of the Constitution, Bandial emphasized the need for the court to protect, preserve, and uphold the Constitution at all costs.
Bandial expressed regret that despite efforts and a record number of cases being decided, over 56,000 cases were still pending in the apex court. He attributed the backlog to constitutional matters that kept the judges occupied.
The Chief Justice explained that decisions made by the benches were not the decisions of individual judges but collective decisions. He acknowledged that differences of opinion could arise during the decision-making process.
Bandial mentioned that ordinarily, cases should be routed through high courts before reaching the Supreme Court. However, he did not provide a specific timeframe for when a decision on the NAB amendment case would be announced. Reporters present at the dinner speculated that the verdict might be disclosed within a day or two before his retirement.