Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo, Nawaz Sharif, has spoken out against the decision to disqualify him as prime minister, stating that it hurt the future of the country.
Speaking at a press conference in London on Friday evening, Nawaz said, “I appeal to my people, open your eyes. This is a cruel joke. In 2017, weren’t you happy? You had full stomachs, your families were content. After 2017, what was the situation?”
Hitting out at the judiciary, Nawaz criticised incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and former-CJP Saqib Nisar and said there was consensus “among all” that a full court should hear the elections case.
“Then why this zid [stubbornness]? Why the insistence that only three judges will be on the bench? This is a national issue, not the issue of one truck, cart or of vacating a plot. Why just these three judges?” he questioned.
“All political parties have said this, the government wants this, bar associations want this, parliament has expressed its will and even passed its bill. It is now with the president… parliament is the country’s major institution, its sanctity should be respected,” he elaborated.
Justice Bandial has been criticised for forming what critics have called a “like-minded bench” to hear major cases, ignoring senior judges, most notably Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
“For one man, you [the judges] are giving decisions? Have you ever taken a suo motu on things said by Justice Shaukat Siddiqi? Or what ex-COAS Gen Bajwa said? Doesn’t this warrant a suo motu that Nawaz Sharif was treated unjustly,” Nawaz Sharif asked, who was disqualified for life by a Supreme Court bench.
“Are all decisions and benches for Imran Khan?” questioned the former Prime Minister, adding “I also heard that the chief justice had tears in his eyes, if these are from fear of God then that is welcome news. I cannot say more.”
Furthermore, Nawaz called for a full court to be formed to hear a petition by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the delay in Punjab elections.
