ISLAMABAD:
Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday delivered scathing remarks on state responsibility and human sensitivity while hearing two separate cases, stressing that children should not suffer in protracted legal disputes.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Mandokhail and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan heard a petition filed by a private construction company over the canceled construction of a guest house in Islamabad’s diplomatic enclave for Balochistan’s chief minister and governor.
The company’s counsel told the court that the former deputy director had inaugurated the project before its notification was withdrawn, adding that a prior bank guarantee was given for mobilization.
Noting that arbitration proceedings were already pending at the trial, Judge Mandokhail noted that “the government is not running away, the government is right here,” while pointing out that the bank guarantee remained valid until June 30, 2026.
Justice Mandokhail noted that caretaker officials may have acted in haste, possibly limiting their role to installing a plaque, and recalled that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had earlier issued an eviction order.
The Supreme Court rejected the petition and ordered the lower court to decide the case.
In a separate case involving a dispute between a husband and wife, Judge Mandokhail ordered that a father be allowed to face his young daughter in court, stressing that “such cruelty should not be inflicted.” Noting that children suffer the most in marital disputes, he ordered the meeting to take place immediately inside the courtroom before adjourning the hearing.
