Pakistan’s upper house of parliament saw a heated debate between the treasury and the opposition members on Friday over Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s remarks. Heading a bench hearing an appeal against the amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, Chief Justice Bandial observed that the problems facing the country could only be addressed through people’s decision. “The current parliament has been systematically kept incomplete”, he said, adding that the legislation taking place in the current “parliament is also becoming controversial” as a result. During the hearing, the federal government’s lawyer contended that the court should not govern the country. The chief justice replied that the court did not wish to run the country but a political vacuum was difficult for the people, reports The Express Tribune. The chief justice’s remarks echoed in the Senate session. Which the ruling PML senators called it a case of judicial overreach, the opposition PTI defended the top judge’s remarks, saying criticism should not be taken as contempt.
