Amid the political turmoil in Pakistan, the attendance of Supreme Court Judge, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa, has sparked a new debate and attracted criticism. During the celebrations of completing 50 years of the 1973 constitution, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa attended the ceremony and spoke to the parliament. The presence of a Supreme Court judge in a time when the judiciary and federal government are at a rift has raised questions.
According to the details, all judges of the Supreme Court received invitations for the event. However, Justice Qazi Faizzaisi did not inform the Chief Justice before attending. The apex court made it clear that no judge was representing the Supreme Court as an institution in the ceremony.
During the ceremony, Justice Qazi Faiz Isa spoke to the attendees & said that on behalf of himself and his organization, he want to convey that they stand with the constitution. Qazi Faiz added that he has nothing to do with the political statements made in Parliament today. He added that it’s possible that one of you would blame us to give a verdict against you.
Should have not attended the event
Vice Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf Shah Mehmood Qureshi showed dissatisfaction with Qazi Faiz’s decision to attend the ceremony. Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that in the present circumstances, he should have avoided the ceremony.
Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed, member of the Sindh High Court Bar Association maintained a similar stance. He said that firstly Qazi Faiz should not have attended the event, and if he did, then should have sat separately.
However, Salahuddin Ahmed clarified that attending the event was not misconduct. He reminded that in 2014, Anwar Zaheer Jamali (then CJP) addressed the Senate.
1) Isa J shd not have attended Constitution celebrations in Assembly in time of such political turmoil. Perceptions matter! Even if he went, shd have sat separately.
2) But those calling it misconduct or unprecedented are uninformed. Here’s CJP Jamali addressing Senate in 2014. pic.twitter.com/ApjfRDDZqI
— Salahuddin Ahmed (@SalAhmedPK) April 10, 2023
