On November 28, 1997, the-then premier instead of appearing before court, stormed it, forcing judges, staff to flee.
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: What is the difference between November 28, 1997 and January 19, 2012? Both dates are related to cases of contempt where the country’s apex court asked the sitting prime minister to appear personally on such charges.
On November 28, 1997, the-then prime minister did not heed the apex court’s call but instead hundreds of members of his party, the PML-N, stormed the court’s premises in Islamabad, quite literally forcing the judges and the court staff to flee for their lives.
Tomorrow is January 19, 2012, and another prime minister has been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court, on a similar charge. In 1997, the military reportedly refused to come to the aid of the Supreme Court. What will happen in 2012?
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2012.
