Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial has said that “Only one prime minister in Pakistan’s history was considered very honest.” The remarks were passed during a hearing of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plea against amendments in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws. The Chief Justice, however, did not name the Prime Minister in question.
“One honest prime minister’s government was ended through 58 (2b). Article 58 (2b) was a draconian law. The court had said in 1993 that the government was [sent packing] in a wrong manner but only elections should be conducted now,” the CJP said.
Justice Bandial also said that the judiciary did not want to meddle in the legislative and that it had not taken notice itself of the NAB amendments ibut a petition had been filed. He highlighted that the court had rued its decision once before as well.
A three-member Supreme Court bench — comprising CJP Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea, which claims the new NAB laws are a “violation of fundamental rights
The CJP said, “The PTI chief is not in the assembly and legislation like the NAB amendment is now becoming controversial.”
Stating that the court has to determine what is standard of cases related to human rights, the government counsel asked, “Can anyone challenge legislation based on assumptions?”
Replying to this, the CJP reiterated that Imran was no ordinary man but “the chief of a huge political party of the country and was a former prime minister”.
Justice Bandial added: “His party decided to resign from the parliament due to political conflicts. His party then changed its mind and now they want to return. But they are not a part of parliament right now. But parliament is there.”
