Sees SC bench composition against norms of justice; Country facing record inflation due to PTI govt’s agreement with IMF
Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif deplored Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial’s remarks about parliamentarians during the hearing of the Punjab election delay case.
The apex court has been hearing the election delay case for a week now after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sought action against the Election Commission of Pakistan for delaying the polls to October 8.
During the hearing of the case last week, the CJP remarked that certain people speaking in the National Assembly had undergone jail terms and were declared traitors.
“Today, when you go to parliament, you find people […] who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, declared traitors. They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representatives of the people.”
In response to the CJP’s remarks during a session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said it was a matter of pride for him that he had been released by the high court on merit in false and fabricated cases.
PM Shehbaz said that Imran Khan’s government had framed false cases against him and tried to “implicate me in those fabricated cases”.
“It is our right under the Constitution to express our views in parliament,” he said, adding whether the CJP took notice of the witch-hunting of the opposition leaders during the PTI’s tenure.
The prime minister said there were serious allegations of corruption against certain members of the bench and by including them in the bench, “what message was given to the whole country”.
“The law of equality was applicable to all. Double standards would not work,” the prime minister said. He added that “Imran’s lackey Shehzad Akbar” had got a false story published against him in London’s Daily Mail, but later the author of the story tendered an apology.
The prime minister said Khan, during his rule, had no other engagement but to spend his energies on devising nefarious schemes to send opposition leaders to jails. He mentioned that Khan had sent him twice to jail and was trying to send him for a third time.
Even his bail which was granted on merit by the high court during the PTI’s government was challenged in the Supreme Court, he added.
