Why was the Chief Justice's term not set to 5 years? - Experts' Reaction
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00:00Aqeel, tell us, why five years in a government script?
00:04Thank you very much.
00:05First of all, this is not just a government script.
00:08I have a mind of my own, and of course, I myself look at things and analyse them.
00:13Of course, you should look at things rationally.
00:15It's not like someone gave you a written paper and you just kept it and said it.
00:20Five years, when he was in government,
00:24you just mentioned that he had given an extension of three years.
00:29At that time, he used to say that the army chief is the father of the nation, and so on and so forth.
00:33So, where was he standing today?
00:35And today, I will tell you very carefully,
00:38a very detailed investigation has been done by the PTI.
00:42As soon as they knew that the services chief, and across the board,
00:46this is not just about the army chief,
00:48the government is going to regulate and streamline all the services chiefs.
00:53You tell me the names of the naval chief and the air force chief.
00:58Look, I can tell you this.
00:59I will tell you, you won't even know the names.
01:01It's all about the army chief.
01:02Look, again, for us, the chiefs of all three services are extremely respectable.
01:07I can tell you this for sure, what detailed investigation they have done.
01:10As soon as they found out that the Supreme Court, practice and procedure,
01:13protested on the seats,
01:15and as soon as they found out that the next amendment table is going to be in the Army Act, Navy Act,
01:20Why didn't you put it in the agenda?
01:21What did they do?
01:22Why didn't you put it in the formal agenda?
01:23Why did you bring it in the supplementary?
01:25There was nothing in the formal agenda.
01:27In the formal agenda, only the ordinance was to be brought in.
01:30We had a discussion and obviously, the rules of the House are permitted.
01:33The rules of the National Assembly are permitted.
01:35We can play with the laws as per our convenience.
01:38But these are such important decisions.
01:40You are increasing the numbers of the Supreme Court.
01:43You are doing something that has direct political ramifications.
01:47We make these things controversial ourselves.
01:49If it was on the formal agenda, what would have happened?
01:52Why didn't you put it in the last?
01:54The ordinance of the Supreme Court was to be brought in on the formal agenda.
01:57They knew perfectly well that the number of judges would increase.
02:00The practice and procedure act was on the formal agenda.
02:03It was passed in the Senate.
02:05In the same way, the committee in the Senate decided to increase the number of judges.
02:08Sir, I have to tell you the logic of 5 years.
02:10I will tell you the logic of 5 years.
02:11Look, Mr. Anand has also talked about it.
02:13I myself think that now it has been streamlined and regulated.
02:163 plus 3, when it was at their time.
02:183 and then plus 3.
02:20Of course, that meant 6 years.
02:21We have now curtailed that to 5 years.
02:27So it can be 5 plus 5 times as well.
02:29That is your math now.
02:31Did you put a guillotine clause in it that it cannot increase after 5?
02:37No, it is not that.
02:38It is open-ended, right?
02:39It is an open-ended thing.
02:41But, Mr. Malik, I will also say this.
02:42We will cross that bridge when we actually come to it.
02:44How did you do it now?
02:46You are building the bridge.
02:47How are you going to cross it?
02:49Tell me one thing.
02:51I was listening to the statement of the Defence Minister.
02:54He said that we have done 5 years so that there is harmony in all the terms.
02:58Yes, of course.
02:59Prime Minister for 5 years.
03:01Chief Justice for 5 years.
03:03You should have done the Chief Justice for 5 years as well.
03:05You should have kept him for 3 years so that the next 3 senior judges
03:08would be in line with you.
03:11The next Chief Justice has to be made.
03:12Why didn't you do them for 5 years as well?
03:14No, it was for 3 years.
03:15Why not?
03:16You should have done it for 5 years.
03:17When you were doing everything,
03:18you should have done it in the larger national interest as well.
03:20It is not about what you have said.
03:23I think that it has been done through a constitutional amendment.
03:28You must remember that we needed a two-third majority.
03:33Maulana Sahib was not agreeing to that.
03:35Obviously, there were many discussions.
03:38And then the compromise that was made.
03:39You have agreed with Maulana Sahib.
03:41Mr. Sardar, tell me if this logic is accepted
03:44that there is conformity.
03:46If Mukannan is 5 years,
03:48if Sardar is 5 years,
03:50if the Army Chief is also 5 years,
03:52if the other officers are also 5 years,
03:54then these discussions will end every year
03:56as to who will be next and who will not be next.
03:58According to their logic,
04:00the Chief Justice should not have been there for 5 years as well.
04:06Look, this is their logic.
04:09They are blaming us.
04:11He himself was a part of it.
04:13Look, sitting in London,
04:16Respected Nawaz Sharif Sahib met Bajwa Sahib
04:19and said from there that we will support this legislation unconditionally.
04:25They did it there.
04:27And the People's Party did it out of compulsion
04:30because the People's Party thought that
04:32even if we do not support it,
04:34they will still have a majority
04:37by being a part of the Muslim League Noon.
04:40So the Muslim League Noon is a part of it as well.
04:44Now, you are absolutely right with 5 years.
04:47Is it final?
04:49That there will be no extension beyond this 5 years tenure?
04:53This is not so.
04:55This means that there can be an extension after 5 years as well.
04:58Which means that they will take it for 10 years.
05:01So, this is not based on any logic.
05:06Sardar Sahib, tell me one thing.
05:09What effect will this have on your party's politics?
05:12Is this a message that there will be a long term continuity?
05:16You people should straighten up and think about the future.
05:20Things will go on for a long time.
05:22Is this a message to you
05:24that the government is really restructuring the institution?
05:29This is at its last breath.
05:33Why do they forget what happened in Bangladesh?
05:36Haseena Wajid was a big idiot for 15 years.
05:39And she lost her mind.
05:42It will be their turn soon.
05:45The more you do repression,
05:48and the more people are being pushed into poverty,
05:56they can't pay their electricity bills,
05:58they can't pay their children's fees.
06:02I am more concerned about the party politics.
06:06When I look at your party,
06:08I see a lot of fractured things.