Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday said days were gone when the stability and security of a country was defined in terms of the number of missiles and tanks the state had as a manifestation of its hard power. “Today, the concept of national security has been redefined as a polity wherein a state is bound to provide its citizens with overwhelming social security and welfare nets and to protect their natural and civil rights at all costs,” the chief justice said while addressing officers of the 97th National Management Course at National Management College here on Monday. He said being guardian of the constitution, it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court to ensure the supremacy of constitution in connection with actions of state institutions and authorities. The chief justice said the Supreme Court held absolute authority when it came to matters of national interests.
He said judges were the guardians of the constitution and had a heavy responsibility on their shoulder to ensure that all institutions and authorities maintained supremacy of law.
The CJ said the structure of the Supreme Court, its powers and parameters had been determined by the constitution.
He stressed that a well-trained and capable bureaucracy was needed to run state institutions, besides tackling the social and economic challenges. Justice Iftikhar said the judiciary was trying to make good the mistakes committed in the past by registering a new history. “(We are) safeguarding the fundamental rights and establishing the writ of the law,” he added. The CJ added that in today’s era, the perception of national security was taking a paradigm shift.
Missiles, tanks not symbols of national security now: CJP
