ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice-designate Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Thursday made it clear that as the new Chief Justice of Pakistan he would restrict his power of suo motu and resort to it only when left with no other choice.

Justice Asif Khosa made the pledge while addressing a full court reference held in honour of the outgoing Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar here on Thursday.

All SC judges except Justice Mansoor Ali Shah (who has recently written a note of dissent against Chief Justice Nisar’s decision of dissolving a bench), President Supreme Court Bar Association Amanullah Kanrani, members of bar councils, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor, representatives of bar associations, judges of high court, civil judges and media persons attended the full court reference for the CJP who had made a record suo motu notices during his two year stint as 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Justice Khosa will be sworn in on Friday as 26th Chief Justice of Pakistan and President Arif Alvi will administer oath to the new Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Justice Khosa while sharing his vision of how apex court would work under him made it clear that instead of taking suo motu notices, he would ensure the courts of the country were performing their duties and dispensing justice speedily.

Justice Khosa who is known to be a man of few words and with a refined literary taste, paid glowing tributes to his predecessor saying he fully supported the initiative of water reservoirs taken by CJP Saqib Nisar, “Despite his preoccupation with such larger national issues, he devoted his attention to many issues of public importance regarding the citizens’ fundamental rights,” said Justice Khosa and highlighted Justice Saqib Nisar’s keen interest in provision of clean drinking water in cities, removal of encroachments upon the state land, adequate medical facilities in hospitals, proper management of medical and legal education.

Justice Saqib Nisar ensured supply of pure milk, recovery of written-off bank loans, proper investigation of mega corruption scams, population welfare, building of dams and water reservoirs, retirement of national debt and in some other areas of public importance has sensitised the governments and the populace at large on such vital issues and his efforts made towards police reforms are also likely to lead to an upturn in administration of justice, said Justice Khosa.

Speaking about Saqib Nisar’s two ambitions namely to build new dams and to make the country get rid of loans, Justice Khosa said he too would like to build some dams, a dam against undue and unnecessary delays in judicial determination of cases, a dam against frivolous litigation and a dam against fake witnesses and false testimonies and would also try to retire a debt, the debt of pending cases which must be decided at the earliest possible.

Justice Saqib Nisar in his address to the full court reference listed some of the landmark decisions the apex court took during his term as the top judge of the country.

“Supreme Court took notice of the scarcity of water in the country. The entire nation gave donations to solve the crisis. The second issue the court picked up was that of population growth,” he said.

We worked for the rights of the downtrodden, granted overseas Pakistanis the right to vote and gave every person the right to live with dignity. The court he said also took notice of private hospital charges, issuance of national identity cards by National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to transgenders.

He also gave example of Tayyaba torture case and children working as domestic servants.

The role of a judge is never easy, I am aware that the decisions we make shape not just the day-to-day lives of individuals, but have the potential to mould the lives of generations to come.

The CJP thanked his fellow judges; “those who have laid down their robes and those who grace the bench with me today, for always extending their unqualified support to me in all my efforts in dispensing justice and for working tirelessly round the clock”.