PTI ‘to counter any move against judiciary’

Spokesman says party wants reconstitution of ECP

LAHORE: Pakistan cannot afford any movement against the superior judiciary, Pakistan Army and the Constitution. If the ruling party dares to start any such movement, it will find Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the field to counter the move.

These remarks were made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry during a press conference on Tuesday. He said if deposed PM Nawaz Sharif initiated a movement against recent judgments of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP), the PTI will launch a campaign in support of the Constitution.



“We can have reservations over the apex court’s decision, but we cannot go against the judiciary. PTI also has reservations over Jahangir Tareen’s disqualification case, but we will not launch a campaign against the judiciary. Rather, we will file a review petition as per provisions of the law. However, the ruling party is trying to rebel against the Constitution and judiciary,” the PTI spokesman maintained.

Chaudhry highlighted that neither Nawaz Sharif’s brother, Shehbaz Sharif, nor Chaudhry Nisar and other senior leadership of the ruling party would support any such movement. In addition, he pointed out, the ruling family was also a facing serious internal crisis.

“The judgement in the case pertaining to the Hudaibiya Paper Mills benefited Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and did not sit well with Nawaz.” Chaudhry said that the PTI would again approach courts on the matter relating to the Hudaibiya case and the party had already formed a committee in this context.



The PTI spokesman also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that in Jehangir Tareen’s case, the ECP issued a disqualification notification even before getting an attested copy of the court decision. He said the commission also announced date for by-elections in Tareen’s constituency. “It seems that the ECP is in a hurry and ignoring the fact that Tareen reserves the right to file a review petition.

Instead of taking action against the PTI, he said, the ECP should focus on delimitation and upcoming general elections in the country. He said his party will support an amendment on delimitation of constituencies in the Senate. After the amendment, Punjab will lose nine National Assembly seats and Khyber-Pakhtunkwa will gain seven seats.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2017.