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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iqbal faults state pillars for past crises
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that the political crises in the country were created either by one pillar of the state or the other, as he called for all sides to work for making the country economically strong. Addressing an event in connection with Youm-e-Takbeer — the anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear blasts — at the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), the minister emphasised that judiciary should not be used in any political confrontation. "All crises in Pakistan were artificial and created by one of the pillars of the state. Political crises were sometimes created by the establishment and sometimes by the judiciary. The 26th Constitutional Amendment was enacted because the judiciary was used for political purposes," he said. "The decision to disqualify Nawaz Sharif in 2017 pushed the country towards a political crisis. But now even our establishment is saying that they are not interested in creating any new political party. Now they are saying that they will keep themselves away from politics." Speaking about Pakistan's nuclear blasts in 1998, he said that the six explosions on May 28 were a befitting reply to India five explosions. "The credit for laying the foundation of the nuclear programme goes to late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan," he said. "All the succeeding governments carried this programme forward and Nawaz Sharif rejected the international pressure and carried out the explosions," he continued. "Youm-e-Takbeer is not only a celebration of past successes but also a day of our firm resolve for the future." This year's Youm-e-Takbeer celebrations came just weeks after Pakistan-India military confrontation. Iqbal said that when India challenged Pakistan, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) proved its superiority by shooting down six Indian warplanes that included three Rafales. "The latest technology, of which India was proud, was crushed by the PAF. India then cried to Washington and requested for a ceasefire, which we accepted because we want peace," the minister said. "Technology played a very important role in the success against India on May 10." The minister stressed the need for a strong economy for strong defence. He called for a national resolve to beat the enemy in the field of economy. "We have a lot of tax evasion. We are among the countries having low tax collection," he added.
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Imaan quits IHCBA positionin protest
Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari has resigned from her position as the chairperson of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association's (IHCBA) committee on enforced disappearances. In a letter addressed to the IHCBA president on Monday, Mazari stated that she made the decision in protest against the "condemnable and cowardly" decision of the bar to withdraw its petitions against the 26th amendment and the transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Expressing her disappointment and shock over the move, she said the decision compromised on the principled position taken by former IHCBA president Riasat Ali Azad.
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Govt seeks dismissal of IHC judges' plea
The federal government on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the pleas against the transfer of judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and the subsequent changes in the seniority list. According to petitions filed by five IHC judges among others, the three transferred judges cannot be considered judges of the IHC until they have taken a fresh oath in accordance with Article 194 of the Constitution. In its response, the federal government sought the dismissal of the pleas as the three judges have been "transferred as per the constitution [and they] are not required to take new oath after transfer" as under Article 200, it did not mean a new appointment. "[The judges were transferred to] "bring transparency in judiciary, not affect judicial independence," read the response submitted by the Islamabad additional attorney general. "Article 200(1) deals with the power of the president to transfer judges from one high court to another, thereby attributing a clear permanence to the transfer," it contended. "No use of the term 'for such period' or 'during the period' in clause (1) of Article 200 clearly reflects that the transfer thereunder, unlike clause (3), [is] not in the nature of a temporary arrangement," the response added. "Permanency of transfer under Article 200(1) is also evident from the fact that to send the transferee judge back to his parent High Court, the President will have to follow the entire procedure provided under Article 200(1) again." Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) has decided to withdraw its constitutional petition from the Supreme Court that challenged the transfer of three judges from other provincial high courts to the Islamabad High Court (IHC). According to a statement, an authority letter has been issued to the Advocate-on-Record, Anees Muhammad Shehzad, authorising the withdrawal of the petition. The decision was made during an executive committee meeting of the IHCBA, which concluded with a unanimous vote in favour of withdrawing the case. The statement signed by the IHCBA President Syed Wajid Ali Shah Gilani and Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed Jajja noted that the decision to withdraw the petition was unanimous as the IHCBA is not an affected party in the case. It emphasized that the issue pertains to the seniority of judges, adding that the matter was being contested by the concerned judges themselves in the apex court. The matter is constitutional in nature and must be resolved through constitutional forums, the statement noted. The bar association clarified that the constitutional petition was initially filed in the Supreme Court without the approval of its executive body by a former president of the IHCBA. The executive committee, therefore, resolved unanimously to dissociate from the case and formally directed the withdrawal of the petition from the Supreme Court.
