Courts should think about whether their decisions fall within ambit of govt's authority: Saeed Ghani.

Sindh Minister for Education, Labour and Human Resources Saeed Ghani on Tuesday said that courts should "think about whether the decisions they take fall within the ambit of the government's authority".

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Ghani said that the limit of any minister or chief minister's authority was laid out by the Constitution and the law. Likewise, he said, the courts also had to take decisions in accordance with the same.

"[The courts] should think whether the decision they are taking can be followed," he said, adding that everybody would have to follow whatever decision the courts took, including himself even if he "did not like it".

The minister added that the provincial government did not regret any decision it took during the pandemic. He said that this was because "Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others took decisions based not on their personal wishes but on public health and safety".

He lashed out at the opposition for being "silly".

"They (the parties in opposition in Sindh Assembly) are in power in other provinces. Whatever they do is correct but whatever we do is wrong?" he questioned.

Ghani clarified that the decision to keep shopping malls closed was not taken by the Sindh government, but was decided during a National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) meeting. "This is U-turn politics," he claimed.

He said it was his opinion that everything should be allowed to open, adding that "no one was understanding" what the Sindh government had been saying since the pandemic began.

"Experts are saying it is dangerous to go out but everyone including the federal government isn't listening so what can we do? If people think buying Eid clothes is more important than preventing disease then so be it." He added that the Sindh government had not agreed to the resumption of flight and train operations.

A day earlier, the Supreme Court set aside the federal government's decision to close shops, markets and businesses on Saturdays and Sundays, saying it reflected no justifiable rationale.

The SC order required the...