Imran accuses Nawaz of undermining judiciary

PTI chief says that by deciding to go to Lahore via GT Road in a convoy, Nawaz is challenging the judiciary

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, expressing concern over ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s plans to travel to Lahore in a cavalcade, has said this was a “deliberate and calculated move aimed at undermining the judiciary”.

The reaction came after the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz announced that Sharif would travel to Lahore by the historic Grand Trunk Road, which runs through the centre of major cities in Punjab from where he derives most of his political strength.

Sharif had initially planned to go to his hometown on Sunday by the Lahore Motorway he built during his second tenure as prime minister in the late 1990s, and which he takes great pride in.

“Travelling on GT Road with a caravan is tantamount to mocking the decision of the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case and the PTI won’t let Sharif’s dream of creating troubles [for the judiciary] realise,” Khan said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Sharif family wants to destroy the whole judicial system by defying the court’s decision. The purpose of the procession on GT Road is to increase pressure on NAB and the accountability court.”



The PTI chief said Nawaz Sharif wanted to bring the whole democratic system down after his disqualification and added “he [Sharif] has become irrelevant – politically”.

“In a democracy, rule [of law] is maintained through ethics. Nawaz Sharif has lost the justification to govern the day his corruption became known.

“There is a clear difference in the attitudes of the PTI and the N-League: the former accepted the SC judgment on setting up a commission to probe rigging during the last elections and did not protest despite there being room for more investigation. The PTI also did not criticise the commission.”

He said Sharif’s second biggest purpose of taking out the procession on GT Road was to put pressure on NAB. “NAB is going to take action against the Sharifs on the charges of corruption, money laundering, tax evasion, concealing assets and fraud. They want to increase pressure to save them.

“They are trying to create a front against the apex court, and the irony is that they are using public resources.”

Meanwhile, according to Online, Imran Khan has called AML chief Sheikh Rashid and discussed present political situation with him. He also invited him to attend a meeting in Bani Gala.