'Forget people's rights, judges aren't getting rights in Pakistan,' says Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said while hearing a case on Thursday that all powers should be transferred from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) under the law.

He said whatever the CDA board was doing; it was supposed to be done by the local government body. He said it was the local government's right to use every penny. According to the constitution, he said, people’s elected representatives should exercise their authority. He said the government did not allow local government elections in Islamabad despite Supreme Court and high court orders.

Justice Kayani asked the lawyers pleading the case to name any institution in Pakistan that was doing its job. He asked, “Have you seen the condition of the subordinate courts? No institution is capable of doing its job. Our spirit has run out. Does anyone realize how 250 million people are living? There are serious governance issues. The courts are doing the work that was supposed to be done by public representatives.

“If it suits someone, they say the system should continue. If the law does not suit someone, the law is set aside. Now because it does not suit someone, local government elections have not been allowed for five years. Don't the people of Islamabad have the right to have their elected representatives who can make decisions? Leave aside people’s fundamental rights; judges are not getting their rights.

“If something illegal happens, people would go to the court, but see the condition of the courts here. Whatever is happening to the common man, the same is happening to the judges. What is happening at the moment is very unfortunate. What is happening in the country can only be prayed for. Everyone should do their job. Everyone makes mistakes but there should be no malice.”