LAHORW – Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar has hinted towardstaking notice over former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s anti-judiciaryspeeches.

The remarks came during the hearing of a suo moto case over the brutalmurder of the Qasur Girl Zainab and the subsequent revelations made by theprominent anchorperson.

During the hearing, a journalist wondered why the SC is not taking noticeover Nawaz’s speeches. Upon this, CJP said that there is a proper time totake action in any matter. He also said that they are not showingrestraint, but will take notice in the matter at an ‘appropriate’ time.

“When we will decide to take notice no power in the world can force us tostop,” the CJP concluded.

The superior judiciary has shown judicial restraint at the unprecedentedonslaught against it from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

After the restoration of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,from March 2009 to December 2013 the superior judiciary was quite sensitivewith regard to any criticism against it. A number of contempt notices wereissued to senior politicians, journalists, and even PCO judges over thecharges of scandalising and ridiculing the judiciary. During this periodcriticism of the bench became a no-go area.

Since Justice Chaudhry’s retirement, however, the superior judiciary hasshown restraint by issuing significantly fewer contempt notices. In 2017,the Supreme Court has only issued such contempt notices to PML-N senatorNihal Hashmi, the owner of a media house, and one reporter.

After the issuance of the first Panama Papers verdict on April 20, thePML-N started targeting the Supreme Court bench and the Joint InvestigationTeam (JIT) probing corruption allegations against the Sharif family. Thiscriticism intensified after the July 28 verdict disqualifying former primeminister Nawaz Sharif from holding public offices.

Later, Nawaz went on a rally across Punjab, wherein he severely criticisedjudges for disqualifying him based off a misdeclaration in his nominationpapers. With the passage of time, Nawaz’s criticism on the judiciary hasincreased. Recently, he announced he would start a movement to improve thejudicial system.