Poor state of affairs pushes judiciary to interfere in executive work, says CJP

KARACHI – Days after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif criticized top judge’s whirlwind visits to hospitals, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has revealed the reason behind his interference in the work of executive.

Hearing a suo motu case regarding the death of children in Tharpakar, the chief justice, who was heading a three-member bench, said that he did not want to make such interference, but the poor state of affairs forced him to take such step.

Addressing Senator Raza Rabbani during the hearing, the top judge, as cited by Dawn News, said: “When we do interfere it is said that we are so foolish as to interfere in the work of the executive.”

In his remarks, while referring to a video that exposed poor health facilities in a Larkana hospital, the CJP said that he visited the hospitals to check the system there.

During the case proceedings, the bench turned down a report presented by the Sindh government and directed head of the Aga Khan University Hospital to make a report on the matter, detailing causes of deaths of infants in Nawabshah and Mithi.

Singh Health Secretary in his report said that 50 percent children had died in these areas due to diarrhoea and pneumonia, besides attributing some deaths to child marriages.

As per the report, it seems the government was not responsible for what happened in Mithi and Nawabshah

Scolding the health secretary, the chief justice said that it seems, according to the report, the government was not responsible for what happened in Mithi and Nawabshah as you have written that underweight children die.

On March 28, Nawaz Sharif sought the action of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar regarding the pending 1.8 million cases as he compared the backlog with the visits of the top judge to public sector departments.

Do something for 1.8m pending cases, says Nawaz ... 03:47 PM | 28 Mar, 2018

ISLAMABAD - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif sought the action of Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar ...

Talking to newsmen outside the accountability court in Islamabad on Wednesday - where he appeared regarding the graft references filed by National Accountability Bureau - Sharif expressed that he was not sure, however, the motive behind the visits of CJP to inspect hospitals apparently seemed to be targeting the Sharif family.

"We run a charitable organisation. Sharif Medical College is the best medical colleges and is managed on welfare. It cannot be used to target us," claimed the former premier.

He cautioned that the CJP should do what he is required to do and shouldn’t interfere with what was not his work.