Shehbaz Sharif reacts to Imran Khan’s sentence suspension in Thoshakhana case

Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President, Shehbaz Sharif, voiced strong criticism against the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday.

His remarks were directed at what he perceived as a bias towards Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

This criticism came shortly after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) made the decision to suspend the sentence handed down to Khan in the Toshakhana case.

In the Toshakhana case, Imran Khan had been sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs100,000 by Additional Districts and Sessions Judge Dilawar Humayun. The verdict found Khan guilty of participating in corrupt practices linked to the state gift repository. This conviction had led to his disqualification from participating in the upcoming elections.

Shehbaz Sharif chose to express his criticism through the X platform, previously known as Twitter. He hinted that the IHC's decision might have been influenced by a perceived leniency shown to Imran Khan by the higher courts, specifically the Supreme Court.

"The suspension of the 'favorite's' sentence is not equivalent to its termination," noted Shehbaz Sharif.

He went on to highlight the exchange of messages like "Good to see you" and "Wishing you good luck" between the Chief Justice and other parties involved. This communication raised concerns about the integrity of the justice system and whether the outcomes were predetermined.

لاڈلے کی سزا معطل ہوئی ہے ختم نہیں ہوئی۔ چیف جسٹس کا "گُڈ ٹو سی یو" اور "وشنگ یو گڈ لک" کا پیغام اسلاآباد ہائی کورٹ تک پہنچ گیا۔ فیصلہ آنے سے پہلے ہی سب کو پتہ ہو کہ فیصلہ کیا ہوگا تو یہ نظام عدل کے لئے لمحہ فکریہ ہونا چاہیے ۔ اعلی عدلیہ سے واضح پیغام مل جائے تو ماتحت عدالت یہ نہ…

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) August 29, 2023

Shehbaz Sharif contended that when higher courts send directives, lower courts often follow suit accordingly.

The PML-N President criticized the appointment of monitoring judges, citing an instance with Nawaz Sharif, and insinuated that the Chief Justice had taken on a similar role to protect the 'favorite,' referring to Imran Khan. He accused the courts of being lenient towards Khan and his party.

Shehbaz Sharif further raised questions about the efficacy of the law when faced with influential figures. He pointedly asked, "If even those engaged in illegal activities are being accommodated, where can ordinary citizens seek justice?"

Concluding his series of statements, the PML-N president remarked that the courts seemed forgiving, regardless of the circumstances, be it events like the May 9 incident or other instances of law enforcement clashes.