ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has assured political leaders that the Supreme Court accords great respect to them but blamed the media for running court observations out of context.

The observation came on Friday when senior counsel Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed during the hearing of a case appreciated the efforts of the judiciary, citing that the people of Pakistan kept the judiciary close to their hearts.

At this, the chief justice regretted that the observations made by the judges during the hearing of the cases were misconstrued by the media and they published the same out of context. As a result, misunderstanding was created that triggered flow of adverse comments from the “other side”, the chief justice deplored.

While the chief justice did not mention anyone, apparently the observations were made in response to the recent criticism of the PML-N leadership against the judiciary.

On Thursday former prime minister Nawaz Sharif while speaking to the media outside an accountability court had equated the language used by the Supreme Court’s judges during a hearing of a case with what his arch-rival Imran Khan used against him.

The chief justice regretted that during Thursday’s hearing the bench that had taken up the challenges to the Elections Act 2017, had questioned the quality of leadership while perceiving a situation, what to do if looters or robbers or drug barons were allowed to become the head and control the affairs of a political party.

The counsel, however, recalled how in Greece the head of the judiciary was regarded as the father of the nation and while pointing towards the chief justice, said the respect for him was similar to that. The people of Pakistan had trust in him because they knew the chief justice was making efforts for their welfare and uplift, the counsel said.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2018