JUDICIARY

By Prof Dr. Sohail Ansari

Conceived and worded by Prof DR Sohail Ansari (originality of concepts and originality of words).

He believes that there can never be a zero scope for improvement and appreciates criticism if it is not for the sake of criticism.

·         ‘Since Pakistan’s first decade, superior courts, particularly the Supreme Court ‘have literally judged the state, ruling on constitutional issues directly affecting national sovereignty, political participation and government organization. Throughout this long political engagement, the courts have been persistently unwilling to confront executive authority.

Pakistan’s constitutional jurisprudence, rather than being characterized by inquires into the validity of executive action, is a series of elaborate jurisprudential efforts to vindicate and facilitate military interventions into democratic politics.’(1)

Non political forces find solace in the role of Judiciary. Instead of exercising restraining influence and keeping such forces in check; judiciary seemed ready enough to legitimatize the rule of dictators. The political process remains in constant danger of being uprooted by undemocratic forces embolden by Judiciary; this uncertainty obsesses political parties and saps them of any will to organize any media strategy.

1              Iftikhar, ‘State and Civil Society in Pakistan, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2002, P167