The minister for justice Mr Farogh Naseem was right when he said the former Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Cornelius believed that the cutting of the hand of the thieves was a correct punishment for bringing the incidence of thefts down considerably. He was all praise for the integrity and neutrality of the former CJP. Truer words were never spoken.
Cornelius was one of the few top most judges of the higher judiciary of this country who earned a great name in their field because of their landmark judgements held in high esteem by the general public and the lawyers’ community. Judges like him, Qaiser Khan, Rustam Kiyani, Samdani, Durab Patel, Hamood -ur-Rehman, to mention a few, were judges who are a rare commodity. People like them are born once in a blue moon. They were unapproachable and they kept a distance from the corridors of power. Abdul Rashid was the CJP and Liaqat Ali Khan was the PM. The latter invited him on a dinner in the Governor House Lahore. The CJP declined the invitation taking the plea that the government was a party in a number of cases pending decision in his court and should he attend his dinner it might send wrong signals to the general public. Justice Shabir Hussain Shah was a judge of the then West Pakistan High Court. A close friend of President Ayub Khan was under trial in his court in a criminal case. The President put in a word to him for his accused friend. Justice Shabbir didn’t listen to him and convicted him on merit.
The common man remembers the courage and neutrality shown by justice Samdani in many cases during the regime of Zia-ul-Haque thus earning the ire of the military dictator.
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