ISLAMABAD: Stressing the need for legislation, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday noted that corruption cannot be eradicated in the country until the flaws in the system are removed.
The chief justice made the remarks while hearing a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan challenging amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance.
The CJP remarked that no efforts had been ever made to remove the flaws in the system. It was the responsibility of the Parliament to introduce legislation for bringing betterment in the system and ensure implementation of it, he stated.
The top judge remarked that inspector-generals of police (IGPs) in provinces used to be changed after every five months while station house officers (SHOs) of police stations used to be replaced within three months.
The CJP remarked that the apex court had decided the Pakistan Steel Mills and Reko Diq cases in the past with good intentions. The government couldn’t fix corruption in the projects due to weaknesses in the system, he said.
The chief justice remarked that the businesses of many people had been destroyed due to the misuse of NAB law in the country. However, no one should be forgiven for committing corruption, he said.
The CJP further said that the court couldn’t find the relevant law which clarifies the point that whether an incomplete assembly could introduce legislation or not. More than a half assembly had boycotted the house as a political strategy, he observed.
He said that it was a good omen that there was free media in the country which was highlighting the truth.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the NAB amendments had benefited only a few people.
Should the judiciary should just see this situation as a spectator, he asked and observed that the NAB law was approved in haste without any debate.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that there shouldn’t be corruption in the system but who would take steps to curb it.
The judiciary has to interfere when the system was being destroyed, he said. The bench questioned under what law it could terminate the NAB amendments on conflicts of interest.
Petitioner’s lawyer Khawaja Haris contended that it was the responsibility of the executive to take measures for eradicating corruption.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till December 14.
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