Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa is due to retirement at midnight today (Friday) after serving his position for a period of 11 months.
Today, he presided over his last case hearing at the Supreme Court, pertaining to the case of Amna Bibi, who was left severely injured in a firing case in Murree.
CJP Asif Saeed Khosa Retires
The outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan, on Friday, addressed a full-court reference organized at the Supreme Court in honor of his retirement. He said that a malevolent campaign has been launched against the judiciary but at the end, the truth will prevail.
CJP Khosa made these remarks in response to the criticism drawn by the special court’s verdict in the high treason case against former President General Pervez Musharraf, stating that he be dragged through Islamabad D-Chowk and hanged for three days.
The CJP said, as reported by Dawn, “I gave my hundred per cent to the job, tried to perform beyond the call of duty, never raised my voice, spoke mainly through my pen, never delayed a judgment unduly and after giving the best years of my life to this public service, I lay down my robes today with a conscience which is clear as crystal.”
Read more: CJP played no part in Musharraf’s case: Supreme Court of Pakistan
He said that he has also striven to fulfill his oath of office, and attempt to dispense justice in accordance with the law, without “fear or favor, affection or ill-will.”
Justice Khosa will retire today at midnight, ending a judicial career spanning over around 20 years. Justice Gulzar Ahmad will take oath as the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan in a ceremony scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday).
CJP Khosa took oath on January 18, this year, following the retirement of Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. The new CJP, Justice Gulzar will assume his duties from December 21, and his tenure will come to an end on February 1, 2022.
Justice Gulzar Ahmad
The Law Ministry issued a notification of Justice Gulzar Ahmad’s appointment as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan on December 4. His appointed was approved by President Arif Alvi.
Reports reveal that Justice Gulzar Ahmad has enjoyed a prolific judicial career, and was the honorary secretary of the Sindh High Court Bar Association in Karachi for the year 1999-2000. For most of his legal practice, his contributions focused on the civil and corporate side, and he was the legal adviser for several local and multinational corporations, financial institutions and banks.
He was sworn in as a Sindh High Court judge on August 27, 2002, and became a judge in the Supreme Court on November 16, 2011. Sources reveal that Justice Gulzar is known for his bold and courageous attitude of passing verdicts without succumbing to any pressure, whether the case is against lawyers, politicians or law enforcement personnel.
He is known for his unorthodox methods and has a firm stand against any technicalities that threaten to obstruct the process of justice. He has been known to avoid public gatherings, and his disapproval of land grabbing and encroachment drives.
Justice Asif Khosa is retiring as Chief Justice today – he will be succeeded by Justice Gulzar Ahmed who will remain Chief Justice till Feb 2022 – Justice Gulzar Ahmed has been the driving force behind the removal of illegal encroachments in Karachi & has also acted against DHA pic.twitter.com/nHOstOLxn1
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) December 20, 2019
Justice Gulzar has been the driving force against the encroachment drives in Karachi, and has also taken a strict stance against the Defence Housing Society for giving government’s land to private parties. He has a very high case disposal rate and does not approve the practice of withholding judgments for longer time periods.
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As he assumes his duties tomorrow, analysts and opinion makers speculate that the greatest challenge for the 27th Chief Justice of Pakistan will be taking action against Justice Waqar, the lawyers involved in the attack on the Pakistan Institute of Cardiology (PIC) and the special court’s decision in the Pervaiz Musharraf treason case.
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