Shared as received in WhatsApp ....
Judges of Pakistani Supreme Court, Country's bar associations and media have done an amazing act. They have told the world that Pakistan does not deserve to come out of FATF grey list as they decided that a suspected money launderer will soon become country's next Chief Justice.
Two years of judicial comedy ended in deciding that a supreme Court judge, who had not declared his London properties as required by law can't be questioned on sources of funds and money trail. But that's only part of the tragedy, sinister joke is that country's bar associations, top layers, newspaper editorials and TV channels celebrated this as a victory.
Judges have effectively written the obituary of Pakistan's legal system without understanding the implications of their decision. Apparently many of them panicked when wife of accused judge threatened that any judge demanding accountability should first disclose his own wife's assets. It was a Bollywood film going on inside country's Supreme Court.
Everyone knew that judges are notoriously corrupt, only recently a judge's daughter's marriage in the southern city of Lahore raised almost a billion Rupees in cash gifts. But the farcical legal process around Faez Esa has fixed the last nail in the coffin of country's judiciary. It has proved that Pakistani judges are simply not willing or capable of trying and punishing anyone from their own ranks.
The fact that judge's young children and wife had no means to acquire the property and never showed a money trail was simply not addressed. Judge kept on saying that he is not responsible for his wife's actions. And the wife never showed any proof of legitimate funds.
She merely kept on saying that she used to work in a school and that she had agricultural income. Pakistani judges are unique in creating ever new confusions, they have created laws that judges can not be investigated except through a body of supreme court judges called Supreme Judicial Council, however since a controversial case of a former Chief Justice, called Iftikhar Chauhdry, they have invented the formula that Supreme Court can turn down decisions of Supreme Judicial Council. Does it sound like a joke?
It certainly is, but calling it a joke can land one in jail for several months. Most decisions of Pakistani courts are mere semantics, word plays without any references to logic or even common sense. Judges keep repeating sections and subsections of law or articles of constitution without any real regard for their meaning.
Medieval poetry or quotes from novels are common in court decisions. So judges keep on inventing new formulas as per their immediate needs or to satisfy their political mentors. So few months ago they found technical excuses for throwing out a presidential reference that merely demanded investigations into the financial affairs of fellow judge Qazi Esa.
To ward off allegations of juducial tribalism, they sent an enquiry into country's tax department to report back on judge Esa's family properties and tax records. That looked fair, at least on paper. But judge Esa supported by powerful Bar Associations and media tycoons even challenged that. Apparently he and his wife were afraid of the facts that could emerge as a result of this scrutiny.
This week some of the same judges now decided that even enquiring from the tax department about a fellow judge was not legal. What is legal and not legal in Pakistan only depends upon the whims or needs of country's powerful judges. It need not have any relationship with principles of law. Many decisions of Pakistan's supreme Court have landed poor debt ridden country into serious financial troubles.
Reko Dik case is a classic example. Government officials and media tremble by the fear and vindictive nature of judges who keep threatening Government officials, media persons and politicians of dire consequences. No one inside the unfortunate country can write or say a word against the powerful judges.
But this week's shameful decision by Islamic Republic's Court will haunt it for generations for it has confirmed that a man accused of money laundering, who never provided a money trail and was not prepared to answer any questions will soon become country's Chief Justice. May God have mercy on this poor nation, Amen!
Judges of Pakistani Supreme Court, Country's bar associations and media have done an amazing act. They have told the world that Pakistan does not deserve to come out of FATF grey list as they decided that a suspected money launderer will soon become country's next Chief Justice.
Two years of judicial comedy ended in deciding that a supreme Court judge, who had not declared his London properties as required by law can't be questioned on sources of funds and money trail. But that's only part of the tragedy, sinister joke is that country's bar associations, top layers, newspaper editorials and TV channels celebrated this as a victory.
Judges have effectively written the obituary of Pakistan's legal system without understanding the implications of their decision. Apparently many of them panicked when wife of accused judge threatened that any judge demanding accountability should first disclose his own wife's assets. It was a Bollywood film going on inside country's Supreme Court.
Everyone knew that judges are notoriously corrupt, only recently a judge's daughter's marriage in the southern city of Lahore raised almost a billion Rupees in cash gifts. But the farcical legal process around Faez Esa has fixed the last nail in the coffin of country's judiciary. It has proved that Pakistani judges are simply not willing or capable of trying and punishing anyone from their own ranks.
The fact that judge's young children and wife had no means to acquire the property and never showed a money trail was simply not addressed. Judge kept on saying that he is not responsible for his wife's actions. And the wife never showed any proof of legitimate funds.
She merely kept on saying that she used to work in a school and that she had agricultural income. Pakistani judges are unique in creating ever new confusions, they have created laws that judges can not be investigated except through a body of supreme court judges called Supreme Judicial Council, however since a controversial case of a former Chief Justice, called Iftikhar Chauhdry, they have invented the formula that Supreme Court can turn down decisions of Supreme Judicial Council. Does it sound like a joke?
It certainly is, but calling it a joke can land one in jail for several months. Most decisions of Pakistani courts are mere semantics, word plays without any references to logic or even common sense. Judges keep repeating sections and subsections of law or articles of constitution without any real regard for their meaning.
Medieval poetry or quotes from novels are common in court decisions. So judges keep on inventing new formulas as per their immediate needs or to satisfy their political mentors. So few months ago they found technical excuses for throwing out a presidential reference that merely demanded investigations into the financial affairs of fellow judge Qazi Esa.
To ward off allegations of juducial tribalism, they sent an enquiry into country's tax department to report back on judge Esa's family properties and tax records. That looked fair, at least on paper. But judge Esa supported by powerful Bar Associations and media tycoons even challenged that. Apparently he and his wife were afraid of the facts that could emerge as a result of this scrutiny.
This week some of the same judges now decided that even enquiring from the tax department about a fellow judge was not legal. What is legal and not legal in Pakistan only depends upon the whims or needs of country's powerful judges. It need not have any relationship with principles of law. Many decisions of Pakistan's supreme Court have landed poor debt ridden country into serious financial troubles.
Reko Dik case is a classic example. Government officials and media tremble by the fear and vindictive nature of judges who keep threatening Government officials, media persons and politicians of dire consequences. No one inside the unfortunate country can write or say a word against the powerful judges.
But this week's shameful decision by Islamic Republic's Court will haunt it for generations for it has confirmed that a man accused of money laundering, who never provided a money trail and was not prepared to answer any questions will soon become country's Chief Justice. May God have mercy on this poor nation, Amen!
