PM Shehbaz conveying his disappointment towards the judiciary’s biased attitude towards Imran Khan
Censures the judiciary for protecting the PTI chief like an iron shield
Says coalition govt would take every step to ensure the rule of law in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD ( Web News )
Conveying his disappointment towards the judiciary’s biased attitude towards Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif slammed the “double standards of justice” and “extraordinary relief” relief given to his rival in corruption cases.
PM Shehbaz Sharif censured the judiciary for protecting the PTI chief like an iron shield and said that the coalition government would take every step to ensure the rule of law in Pakistan. “The judiciary has become an iron shield for Imran Khan,” the premier said, while addressing a cabinet meeting in Islamabad.
The premier’s comments came a day after Supreme Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial ordered the release of the PTI Chairman Imran Khan declaring his arrest on May 9 as “illegal”.
Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by Rangers personnel — acting on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant — in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The prime minister also questioned the judiciary about the treatment of other politicians in the country.
“Politicians were sent to jail in fake cases. Did any court ever take its notice?” he asked. Commenting on the history of cases by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the premier said the anti-graft body has not spared anyone and has poisoned the entire country — from industries and educational establishments to religious institutions.
Other political leaders in the country, the premier said, faced trials and tough handling, while Imran Khan was given a “privileged treatment”.
“These are the double standards of justice,” he said, expressing astonishment over CJP’s remarks during Thursday’s hearing where he said that he was pleased to meet the former prime minister.
He pointed out that thousands of cases by the general public were pending with the courts while some political figures were especially receiving bail on a priority basis.
Judiciary, he added, earlier also protected Imran Khan in his corruption cases including the Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT) Peshawar, Billion Tree Tsunami tree plantation, and Malam Jabba development projects despite solid proofs of corruption by PTI.
He said the PTI chairman was part of an agenda to bring fascist rule to the country for 10 years.
“May 9 after the debacle of December 16, 1971, was a painful day in the country’s history when Imran Khan’s party unleashed havoc by attacking national and military installations,” PM Shehbaz said.
Despite the tragedy of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, PM Shehbaz Shairf recalled, her husband Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ (We want Pakistan) as a “great gesture of nationalism”.
“Also, nobody hit the military installations even after the ‘judicial murder’ of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,” he added.
The prime minister said he was in prison and the former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was in London at the time of their mother’s death but not one had taken notice of the situation.
He said that the former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was in jail when his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif passed away in London, adding that nearly after one hour Nawaz Sharif was informed about the death of his wife but no one took notice of the situation.
He further took down Imran Khan referring to him as the “mastermind and planner” behind the attacks on military institutions and termed it a “disgrace” to the martyred military personnel who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.
The premier lamented that Pakistan was going through a difficult time and the coalition government was making efforts to address the inherited challenges.
He also lambasted PTI for pushing the country toward the brink of a dangerous situation and said the PTI chief — for months — made false and shameless claims about his ouster from the rule through “regime change” by the United States.
PM Shehbaz added the coalition government made tireless efforts to mend relations with the US in a diplomatic manner, while Imran Khan ultimately changed his stance against the US.
He pointed out that besides manoeuvring the situation with the International Monetary Fund, Imran Khan made every effort for the country to be declared a default.
“Imran Khan incurred every possible damage to the very fabric of society by promoting hatred and intolerance,” the prime minister said.
He said Imran Khan has been caught red handed in the corruption of sixty billion rupees but the court’s decision is nothing but an NRO to the PTI Chairman.
Shehbaz Sharif recalled that Imran Khan during his era orchestrated false and fake cases against his political opponents but nobody took notice of them. He said we faced excesses of PTI government with patience and tolerance. He said the NAB has framed genuine cases against Imran Khan, regretting that the judiciary is now providing protection to him.
Terming May 9 violence acts as the most despicable after the fall of Dhaka, the Prime Minister said the PTI Chairman is the planner and instigator of the attacks on public and private properties.
He said the country’s interests cannot be sacrificed for the ego and narcissism of one person. The Prime Minister said Pakistan today is faced with multidimensional challenges and the government is working tirelessly to cope with the inherited problems. He said the PTI Chairman through its cipher conspiracy also tried to damage our relations with the United States. He said we engaged with the country to do the damage control.
Shehbaz Sharif lamented that the PTI Chairman through his propaganda campaign has also divided the nation and this venom has now permeated in all segments of the society.
Meanwhile the federal cabinet has decided that no leniency should be shown for those who committed organized terrorism and enmity against the state, the Constitution, law and the national dignity.
The cabinet, which met in Islamabad on Friday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, asserted that such elements should be made an example by taking the strictest action as per law and the Constitution.
The meeting regretted that what the enemy of Pakistan could not achieve in 75 years was done by a foreign-funded party and its leader. It commended the people of Pakistan for distancing themselves from the corruption of 60 billion rupees and the master mind of the organized terrorism and state enmity committed on 9th of this month.