Says is boycotting Parliament and coming to court not weakening democracy
Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has raised serious questions over the conduct of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his party during the hearing of a petition challenging the NAB amendments.
Justice Shah inquired if Imran and his party abstained from voting on the National Accountability Ordinance amendments. He wondered ‘what right a party does have to challenge the amendments in a court of law when it abstains from voting on it’! He further inquired if it was sagacious on the part of a parliamentarian to leave his place empty in the parliament house.
“Is it an attempt to weaken the parliament if people bring matters to the courts which should have been resolved in the parliament,” the judge questioned.
Justice Shah went on to say that if the PTI MNAs’ resignations were not accepted, it meant that their membership was still intact. “An MNA is a trustee of the confidence of his constituents. Is it fair if the trustee of the constituents boycotts the parliament?” the judge wondered. The judge remarked how we could establish that the NAB amendments case was in public interest.
He wondered if it was the job of three judges sitting here in the court to determine what was in public interest! He said it had not been elaborated which amendments to the NAO were in conflict with the basic rights. He remarked that Imran Khan’s lawyers had been discussing only the Islamic clauses and basic structure of the constitution.
