I DO not understood why a mountain has been made o f a mole hill by the legal fraternity and opposition regarding the reference sent to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

This action is entirely within the ambit of the constitution. There is, however, hardly any doubt that Justice Isa enjoys an excellent reputation and is considered above board morally and ethically; nevertheless he is after all a human being and not an angel. To err is human.

In the end, it may all be an honest oversight. Before canonising someone, remember that even saints were not saints at one time, and had to undergo harsh scrutiny. The higher the pedestal, the greater the accountability. Have we forgotten the extreme scrutiny that Justice Kavanaugh went during his confirmation? I am sure the judge himself would welcome all steps as long as they are in line with the constitution, for institutions should not be sacrificed at the altar of hero-worship.

I humbly urge the naysayers to hold their horses and wait for the decision of the SJC, which, after all, is made up of senior most judges. Who better to judge a judge than his own peers?

For the legal fraternity to condemn this reference, which is in line with the Articles of the Constitution, is to condemn the constitution itself, which I am sure no lawyer, law officer, Bar Council, or even the judges themselves can think of.

Here, may I also add that with the severe punishment meted out to senior officers of the army, the myth of holy cows will be buried once and for all.

Dr Raza Gardezi

Karachi

(2)

WHILE news of protest by bar associations has been emerging from all across the country in favour of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and especially the words and tone used by the Supreme Court Bar Association, it feels so painful to find that whenever voice is raised for accountability in some department, agitations starts.

In this particular case, I would like to ask the concerned and non-concerned (so-called saviours of judicial system): are they sincere to Pakistan?

If the said judge is pious and not guilty, let the Supreme Judicial Council decide his fate. No one is and should be above law.

Dr Hassan Jamil Sandhu

Gujranwala

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2019