Pak govt’s move to confront SC verdicts tantamount to suicide, say experts

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s top legal and constitutional experts see the government’s move to confront the Supreme Court orders regarding writing a letter to the Swiss authorities in view of money-laundering cases, as an attempt to commit hara-kiri, saying that only the apex court has the final say in interpreting any clause of the Constitution.

Criticising Prime Minster Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement that his government would act upon the Supreme Court verdicts in the light of the Constitution, senior and independent experts argued that the whole system would collapse if individuals and institutions were allowed to decide which judgement was in accordance with the constitutional provisions, The News reported.

The government, not serious about implementing the apex court verdicts, was just deceiving the judiciary, retired judge Nasira Javed Iqbal said, adding that the interpretation of any clause of the constitution was the prerogative of the Supreme Court and no individual could be given the right to check the constitutionality of any judgement of the apex court.

Top legal and constitutional expert Abid Hassan Minto said that the government itself was a party to the NRO case, but it was bound to accept and act in accordance with the NRO judgement, as the SC verdicts were binding on every citizen.

Senior international law expert Ahmer Bilal Sufi said that a very serious effort was needed from the government’s side in order to avoid any confrontation arising from non- implementation of the Supreme Court verdicts.

He insisted that it should be clear that if there are any differences on interpretation of the constitution the only venue of debate will again be the Supreme Court and no individual, institution, authority or official could be given the right to interpret the constitution on his own. (ANI)