Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed has criticised the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led federal government for its inability to contain the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — at the border, leading to an outbreak in the country.
The total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 296 in the country with 208 cases in Sindh while Punjab has 28, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported 19, Balochistan has 23, Islamabad two, Gilgit-Baltistan 14 and one in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, two patients were confirmed to have died in KP on Wednesday, making them the first cases of death due to the deadly virus in Pakistan.
The CJP was referring to the pilgrim influx from Iran through the Taftan border. Almost half of the Zaireen, who are kept at a largely mismanaged tent city at the border, have tested positive for the virus.
“The coronavirus came from abroad through the airports due to PIA and the government’s incompetence,” remarked CJP. He noted that the coronavirus is now being talked about everywhere in the country.
“If security remains like this, then I do not know what kind of new diseases will be introduced to the country [in the future],” remarked the CJP.
The top judge was also irked by the National Security Committee’s (NSC) request to adjourn civil cases and instruct magistrates and sessions judges to conduct hearings at prisons for three weeks.
He observed that the authorities had not made arrangements to minimise the risk instead asked the judges to suspend judicial work.
The CJP made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by Air Marshal Arshad Malik seeking a stay against the Sindh High Court’s December 2019, order restraining him from working as the chief executive officer of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The SC allowed Malik to continue performing his duties as the head of the national carrier.
During the hearing, the CJP asked the government to explain a single good thing that happened in the national airline.
“PIA is playing with the lives of the people,” CJP Ahmed complained.
However, Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed defended Malik and described him as a competent person. He added that, God-willing, Malik would take the PIA forward. However, the CJP interjected and told the government lawyer that work cannot be done by merely uttering “By the grace of God”, “God-willing” and “Thanks be to God”.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan also criticised the government, saying that the court knows that a lot of lobbies were working against the airline.
“There are lobbies inside PIA who do not want it to work,” remarked the judge. He also suggested that the air marshal implement those decisions which a political government cannot.
“If actions had already been taken, the airline would not have been in its present state,” Justice Ahsan said.
To this, the AGP replied that if Arshad Malik is allowed to work as the CEO, he will take all those actions. He added that whenever the court will say that Malik has to go, he will go.
