Imran Khan willing to return to Parliament?
Chief Justice of Pakistan has a word of advice for the PTI leadership suggesting it should ask its legislators to return to parliament since voters have elected them for five years.
A massive deluge has inundated scores of people who are without potable water to drink or food to eat. Besides, a number of visitors are coming to Pakistan to lend help in the relief work.
The PTI challenged a decision by Islamabad High Court to reject its plea that the Election Commission of Pakistan be asked to denotify the party’s 123 MNAs as they had resigned from their National Assembly seats.
On the other hand, the PTI moved another application before the apex court seeking suspension of the 15 September ECP’s decision to hold by elections in eight National Assembly constituencies.
Imran Khan surprised many when he decided against further contesting the contempt proceedings against him and offered to tender an apology before the Additional District Sessions Judge; against whom he gave a controversial statement.
Subsequently, Imran Khan escaped indictment and further proceedings over his intimidating speech against the female Additional Sessions Judge.
He had been issued a show cause notice in contempt of court proceedings for threatening Additional Session Judge during his 20 August speech at a party rally.
Imran Khan should never have used the sort of language he did against the judge, and it is hoped that he has learnt his lesson.
Hopefully, he will take the opportunity to reflect on his needless disparagement of other state institutions as well as his political opponents.
If Pakistan had more rigid libel laws, the PTI Chairman would have been sued mercilessly for the litany of unfounded allegations he keeps making against anyone who dares to cross him.
Bullying opponents from the pulpits is easy when star of the party is rising, and the power of the people is behind the star.
However, this is a demagogue path to power, and the country needs more leaders, not rabble rousers.
Positive and good suggestions are that Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial called for dialogue to settle all political issues.
A purely political impasse does not have a legal solution, it can only bring resolved through dialogue between political leaders and their partners.
View point of Chief Justice of Pakistan was that the judiciary has no role to break a political deadlock, but stressed and hoped that the political leadership of the country would take the necessary corrective action and confidence building measures with the public and national interest as their foremost consideration.
Days after PTI was advised by the Chief Justice of Pakistan to return to parliament, Mr.
Imran Khan is willing to withdraw their resignations from the National Assembly if a probe was conducted into the alleged conspiracy that resulted in the ouster of Imran’s government, already shared by the President of Pakistan with the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
The cipher, based on the then Ambassador Asad Majeed meeting with Assistant Secretary to State Department of US, is at the centre of Imran Khan’s claim that the US conspired with elements within Pakistan to dislodge his government.
Imran Khan who has repeatedly accused the USA of orchestrating his existence from power, I am of the opinion that ground reality is contrary to the facts, in diplomatic norms the status of Assistant Secretary for South Asia is having low category, and his personal views were highlighted by Ambassador Asad Majeed unnecessary.
If Judicial Commission is formed in the light of President of Pakistan letter sent to Chief Justice the black and white outcome will come on surface.
Its alarming situation, the content of the recordings which appear to be informal conversations in the PM office as opposed to recorded phone conversations has not been denied by Minister of Information.
However off the record conversations with officials suggest alarm bell have been sounded in all corridors of power, with questions being raised about the flaws in the cyber security of the highest office of Pakistan, as the issue is quite serious and it should be investigated by the JIT comprising all relevant sensitive agencies.
It is difficult to make any opinion with authority on when and how the conversations were hacked, unless a thorough investigation is conducted.
Unfortunately PM has 72 members’ cabinet and due to lack of government policy and interest in thwarting cyber attacks on important state institutions as one of the causes of the breach.
In my opinion, the incident would prove to be a wakeup call for the government, and it won’t simply be forgotten or brushed under the carpet.
—The writer is former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and currently Chairman National Democratic Foundation.
