'Prime minister one day, prisoner the next': Pakistan’s top court examines fate of its leaders

Pakistan’s top court expressed concerns on Friday over the volatile nature of governance in Pakistan, particularly the precarious status of prime ministers.

"One day, they’re in the PM House; the next, they’re in jail," observed Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed Khan of the Supreme Court while hearing a murder case.

The case, pending since 2017, drew sharp remarks from the judges over delays in justice and the state’s preoccupation with political engineering.

Justice Athar Minallah criticized state institutions for prioritizing political rivalries over their constitutional roles. "When institutions engage in political engineering, this is the inevitable outcome," he remarked.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the lack of accountability in high-profile cases. "Three prime ministers were killed, what became of their cases?" he asked, referencing Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan; the country's first woman prime minister, Benazir Bhutto; and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was convicted of murder, sentenced to death, and later executed.

"What crime could be greater than the murder of a prime minister?" Minallah questioned, adding that someone should have been held accountable and punished for such an act.

Justice Malik echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the broader implications of such political instability. "In a country where even a prime minister faces such a fate, what hope is there for the common man?" he asked.

Mandokhail also noted the alarming death of a senior judge in Balochistan, which remains shrouded in mystery. "This reflects our lack of will to act," he said.

Justice Malik lamented the volatile status of prime ministers in Pakistan. "One day, they’re in the PM House; the next, they’re in jail," he said, pointing to instability in governance.

The judges agreed that flawed investigations, particularly in Punjab and Sindh, erode public trust. Justice Minallah underscored the gravity of this distrust: "When even this institution can only be as truthful as society, what hope is left for justice?"

Minallah also lamented how constitutional violations have contributed to the public's distrust in state organs. "If the Constitution had been followed, we wouldn’t be in this situation," he remarked.