QUETTA – The judiciary will not accept any unconstitutional step taken by the executive, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said late Thursday.
Only law and constitution will prevail in the country, he declared while addressing a gathering at a dinner reception hosted in his honour by the Balochistan High Court.
“We will oppose any unconstitutional act in the country just like (we did on) November 3, 2007,” he said, adding the judiciary would be the first to stand up against any illegal step. The chief justice said nothing but rule of law is the solution to the country’s problems. The chief justice complained that those issues which should have been dealt by the executive were also being resolved by the judiciary. He regretted ‘noncompliance of the constitution’ in the country and vowed to resist any unconstitutional act taken against the judiciary, the parliament or the masses.
The CJ said that the judiciary was fully aware of its responsibilities and all institutions of the country are bound to act under their constitutional ambit. He said he has taken oath under the constitution and will defend it at any cost. “It is the judiciary’s responsibility to make justice available to everyone. Tradition of respecting law is vanishing fast in the country,” he lamented.
Expressing concern on overall law and order situation, the chief justice said the country was presently facing the worst kind of lawlessness, bloodshed, kidnapping for ransom and disregard for the supremacy of the constitution.
Balochistan is going through a difficult phase and violation of human rights is at its peak in the province, the chief judge of the country remarked. He said that law and order situation in KP and Balochistan has affected the situation in Punjab as well. Army personnel were killed in Gujrat and police officials from KPK were targeted in Lahore, he added.
He said that the police forces in the country are so demoralised that they are unable to fight the terrorism. But he said the nation, particularly the people of Balochistan, should not be disappointed as their will be a turnaround as judiciary will play its role to ensure protection to the citizens.


CJ vows to stand up against illegal steps