ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday hit back at critics, who targeted him for his visit to a government hospital in Lahore earlier this week.

“I want to categorically state that I have no interest in becoming a leader,” he said during the course of hearing a case pertaining to drinking water in Karachi.

The top judge said his visit to the Mayo Hospital was in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan. He said it was incumbent upon the judiciary to ensure protection of human lives.

“Anybody who wants to criticise me can do so. My visit was aimed at saving human lives. There was no facility of ventilators in the Mayo Hospital,” he said.

The chief justice said that protection of basic human rights is judiciary’s responsibility under the Constitution.

He drew strong criticism from political parties following his visit to the hospital just days after a bench he was heading disqualified Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Secretary General Jahangir Khan Tarin and gave a clean chit to Imran Khan in a disqualification case filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Hanfi Abbasi.

Justice Nisar has said he will resolve the issue of water contamination in Sindh and Punjab before the next elections. “To provide the citizens with clean water is the duty of the State, but people are getting contaminated water in Karachi.”

He said the judiciary has also taken up this issue in Punjab and will solve the matter no matter what. “Poisonous water is released into the river which is then supplied to the people.”

The chief justice said the water commission has already submitted a report to the Sindh government but no action has been taken as yet. He asked Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to appear before the court and give a timeframe for solving this issue.

He also asked advocate general of Sindh to tell the court what has been done in this regard since Dec.5. “We want a timeframe on the affidavit and have to solve this matter before the upcoming elections even if we have to continue the hearing till midnight. We have the authority and power to pass an order against officers who breached their undertaking to make operational treatment and filtration plants given before the top court of the country.”