ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Friday expressed frustration over the government’s sluggish progress in establishing the long-delayed Climate Change Authority, remarking that the state was moving at a tortoise’s pace when it should be acting with the speed of a cheetah.
Justice Mandokhail made the comments during a hearing at the Supreme Court on the implementation of the Climate Change Act, 2017. A five-member bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, was hearing the case concerning the formation and operationalisation of the Authority—seven years after the law was passed.
“The climate crisis is an emergency. The government should be running like a cheetah, not crawling like a tortoise,” Justice Mandokhail remarked, adding that the state’s delay in addressing climate change is unacceptable given the looming environmental threats Pakistan faces.
During the proceedings, the Additional Attorney General (AAG) informed the court that the government had issued three separate advertisements to appoint the Authority’s chairman. The first two attempts failed to yield a suitable candidate, the court was told, with the top contender disqualified due to dual nationality—an issue disallowed under government policy for such senior appointments.
Justice Mandokhail questioned why alternative candidates weren’t considered. “You had 752 applications. Were none of them fit for the job?” he asked. The Secretary for Climate Change, Zulfiqar Younis, explained that the remaining candidates did not meet the necessary qualifications.
The court also raised concerns about provincial nominations for the Authority. Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had nominated Faisal Amin Khan, the brother of the provincial chief minister. Justice Mandokhail questioned the credibility of Balochistan’s nominee, a university vice-chancellor, citing the lack of relevant expertise.
The AAG assured the court that provinces would be contacted again to nominate qualified technocrats. He added that the draft rules for the Authority’s operations had been finalized and were pending approval from the Law Ministry.
Justice Mandokhail expressed exasperation over the delays, pointing out that despite the passage of the law in 2017, neither a chairman had been appointed nor rules notified. “This issue is about people’s basic rights,” he observed, stressing the urgency of putting a fully functional body in place to address climate-related challenges.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mian Samiuddin, argued that the government’s failure to operationalise the Authority was a denial of citizens’ constitutional rights to a healthy environment. He questioned why Pakistan was struggling to find suitable experts when the crisis demanded immediate and competent leadership.
The court adjourned the hearing for one month, directing the federal government to expedite appointments and finalise the regulatory framework.
