Pakistan
PM expresses his disapproval of CJP’s remarks about parliamentarians
Shehbaz Sharif has stressed that it is a constitutional right to express views in parliament and questioned whether the Chief Justice of Pakistan had taken notice of the alleged witch-hunting of opposition leaders during the PTI's tenure.
Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his disapproval of the remarks made by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Umar Ata Bandial, during the hearing of the Punjab election delay case, regarding the parliamentarians.
The Prime Minister expressed his pride in being released by the high court on merit from false and fabricated cases. He accused the previous government, led by Imran Khan, of framing these cases against him and attempting to implicate him. The PM stressed that it is a constitutional right to express views in parliament and questioned whether the Chief Justice of Pakistan had taken notice of the alleged witch-hunting of opposition leaders during the PTI's tenure.
The Prime Minister also raised concerns over serious corruption allegations against certain members of the bench and questioned the message that was being sent to the country by including them in the bench.
He emphasized the importance of applying the law of equality to all and stated that double standards would not work. Finally, the Prime Minister mentioned how Shehzad Akbar, who he referred to as Imran's "lackey," had published a false story against him in London's Daily Mail, but later apologized for it.
The PM also maintained that all the leaders of coalition parties in the federal government, during a meeting chaired by him in Lahore last week, had expressed their no confidence in the Supreme Court bench’s hearing the suo motu case of polls delay.
Taking part in the National Assembly session, the prime minister endorsed the views of Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarrar regarding the expression of no confidence in the constitution of the bench.
He said Justice Ijazul Ahsan, another member of the bench, had recused himself from the bench.
He requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan to constitute a full court sans two judges as it would be acceptable to the nation.
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.
He stressed that the law of equality was applicable to all.
The prime minister said Imran Niazi 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 Imran had sent him to jail twice and was trying to send him for the third time.
Earlier, the law minister briefed the House about the proceedings in the apex court and reiterated that the coalition parties had already conveyed to the court to constitute a full court to hear the instant case.