Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Atta Bandyal has said that the political leadership should negotiate for political stability because political issues can only be resolved through negotiations.
Politicians should speak to solve the problems faced by the people, he added, adding that millions of people were displaced by the devastating floods, which wreaked havoc across a large part of the country.
Justice Bandyal said that there is no legal solution to purely political impasse. It can only be resolved through dialogue between political leaders and their parties.
He said that the judiciary has no role in breaking the political deadlock. He said that like other citizens, we have full hope that the political leadership of the country will take necessary corrective and confidence-building measures keeping the national interest in mind.
The Chief Justice said that regardless of the court’s efforts to stabilize democracy in the country, development can only happen if all the political parties adhere to democratic practices and play their role in the parliament under the constitution.
He expressed these views while addressing the two-day Ninth International Judicial Conference at the Supreme Court Islamabad on Friday.
He said that the rule of law is the focus of the judiciary, adding that the judiciary protects the rights of the weaker and downtrodden sections of the society.
The Chief Justice has urged the legislature, executive and other state institutions to play their role for the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution in the country.
He said that our court recognizes environmental justice as an essential aspect of the rule of law.
The Chief Justice said that the judiciary had issued instructions to the federal government for religious harmony and protection of minorities.
Justice Bandyal said that the Supreme Court has blocked the way of the doctrine of necessity through the decision of the Sindh High Court Bar.
He said that the National Assembly was dissolved during the no-confidence motion, but the Supreme Court declared the dissolution of the assembly and the decision of the Deputy Speaker as unconstitutional.
The Chief Justice recalled that the court had to intervene after the President ordered the dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022 on the advice of the then Prime Minister. He said that the court declared the dissolution unconstitutional and ordered the restoration of the National Assembly to establish a parliamentary government in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
The Chief Justice further said that the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Assembly gave a decision against the Constitution and the Supreme Court declared it void and ordered the implementation of the Constitution.
He called for urgent measures to tackle the challenge of climate change.
He said that the court decided to issue national identity card to transgenders.
The Judiciary has given important decisions related to schools, including the rights of minorities.
