Malik Riaz of Bahria Town and Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry are gods of not small things. Malik is a property tycoon. No one in Pakistan has built a huge empire like him. Malik’s influence outdoes all other influential persons. He is always friends with people who are in power. He is notorious for buying any obstacle that comes in his way. Instead of being a regular visitor in the power corridors of Pakistan, the powerful walk in his corridors. Like a wise businessmen, he is not anyone’s enemy. He has a public image, which portrays him slightly towards a land grabber, and more towards a philanthropist. His charity ranges from the provision of free meals to needy people in big cities to the payment of Rs 130 million to Somali pirates for the release of hostage Pakistani ship crew.
Justice Iftikhar is heading a proactive judiciary after his restoration. He is the man of very strong nerves. He remained defiant at times when bravest would have quit. He refused to succumb to the mounting pressure of the ruling junta before his sacking on November 3, 2007. Five army generals tried to convince and threaten him to resign, but he didn’t. He was assaulted on his way to the Supreme Court, but he remained defiant. His steadfastness led him to his restoration in March 2009. After his restoration, he vowed to deliver to the people who fought for his cause. The superior judiciary became proactive. A new judicial policy was formulated to expedite the trial of pending cases in the courts. A record number of cases were decided and steps were taken to expedite the disposal of the cases. The cases which used to take eight or ten years to decide, now take no longer than one-and-a-half-year.
The judiciary started taking decisions which were unprecedented. Never before in the history of the country, the judiciary ever did anything like that. Iftikhar’s trademark suo moto actions - although provided in the constitution but never used before - became detrimental for politicians, secret agencies and powerful bureaucrats who have never before held them accountable.
Now the two have clashed, making the CJP shocked and Malik Riaz amused. The gravity of the matter and influence of the parties involved in the scandal are bound to oust one.
Justice Iftikhar is heading a proactive judiciary after his restoration. He is the man of very strong nerves. He remained defiant at times when bravest would have quit. He refused to succumb to the mounting pressure of the ruling junta before his sacking on November 3, 2007. Five army generals tried to convince and threaten him to resign, but he didn’t. He was assaulted on his way to the Supreme Court, but he remained defiant. His steadfastness led him to his restoration in March 2009. After his restoration, he vowed to deliver to the people who fought for his cause. The superior judiciary became proactive. A new judicial policy was formulated to expedite the trial of pending cases in the courts. A record number of cases were decided and steps were taken to expedite the disposal of the cases. The cases which used to take eight or ten years to decide, now take no longer than one-and-a-half-year.
The judiciary started taking decisions which were unprecedented. Never before in the history of the country, the judiciary ever did anything like that. Iftikhar’s trademark suo moto actions - although provided in the constitution but never used before - became detrimental for politicians, secret agencies and powerful bureaucrats who have never before held them accountable.
Now the two have clashed, making the CJP shocked and Malik Riaz amused. The gravity of the matter and influence of the parties involved in the scandal are bound to oust one.
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