- Mr Justice Gulzar takes office amid many challenges
Mr Justice Gulzar Ahmed took oath of office as the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan from President Arif Alvi on Saturday. His tenure will last a little over two years, as he will retire on 21 February 2022, and he has taken office when there are several challenges, each of which would be enough for such a tenure, and leave him no necessity of seeking anything additional to do. The new CJP, as an active member of the Supreme Court has already played a role in these controversies. To take just one example, in the matter of the Mr Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Mr Justice Gulzar was already a member of the Supreme Judicial Council that he will now chair ex officio. He was also on the bench hearing the case in the Supreme Court.
He was not on the bench that heard the COAS’ extension case, but he will have to deal with that issue in due course. His predecessor as Chief Justice, Mr Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, may have thought he had dealt with the matter finally by sending it on to Parliament to legislate, but if it does not (and there are virtually no signs that the ruling PTI, its allies or the opposition are taking any of the needed steps), the matter might end up in court again. Then there is the Musharraf case, where the former military ruler is almost certain to appeal his death sentence for high treason. Then there is the issue of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commission members, which may well end up again before his court, if, as seems likely, the government and opposition remain unable to agree on who to appoint.
Another issue that may well arise is that of the government’s tendency towards a presidential form of government, and that too one in which the executive branch stands alone, unchecked by either the legislative or judicial branches. The government’s cause is not helped by statements like the one made by Railways Minister Sh Rashid Ahmad, who said that democracy was the most corrupt system, at a press conference in Lahore on Saturday. Mr Justice Gulzar will find that his tenure is not of the longest, but it may be full of high drama. One can only wish him well in his labours, focusing primarily on the supremacy of the constitution that makes the existence of a democratic Pakistan possible.
