Former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice (r) Mian Saqib Nisar, while speaking on the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum meetings on Thursday, said that he did not overstep his constitutional mandate and only acted for safeguarding the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan.
This was the former chief justice’s first public appearance after his retirement last week. Speaking at traditional Pakistan Breakfast, jointly organised by Pathfinder Group and Martin Dow Group, he said that inefficient bureaucracy is the second biggest threat to the country after terrorism. He said that the apex court did not transgress its authority and only acted in life with the duty the superior judiciary had been given under the Constitution of Pakistan. “According to Article 199(C) of the Constitution, it shall be the duty of the high courts to enforce the fundamental rights,” he added. He further said that the Constitution had bound the superior judiciary to enforce fundamental rights.
The former chief justice also said that while dams cannot be created with Rs20 billion, the donation campaign had created awareness among the masses. “For 40 years, the dams were on the agenda of the government but they did not build any dams,” he said.
Responding to criticism of his judicial activism, he said that the superior judiciary had alleviated the miseries of the people through judicial activism but with “caution and care”.