Qamar Zaman Kaira
LAHORE: If the judges of the Supreme Court do not rein the foul-mouthed powerful people from mudslinging against judiciary, ordinary people will start criticising courts, president of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Central Punjab chapter Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Wednesday.
Speaking with media persons here, Kaira pointed out that former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had been disqualified for disobeying an unconstitutional order of the apex court, but his party accepted the court’s verdict and did not criticise the judiciary.
Establishment needs to stop interfering in politics: Kaira
Judges, he said, were silent even though former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was persistently using foul language against them.
On numerous occasions, it had been said that law was applicable equally on everyone and it remained to be demonstrated, he said.
He said that there was no disagreement on the need for judicial reforms, adding that the system for judges promotion needs to be reviewed.
“The country’s judicial system cannot be controversial,” he said.
Courts, he said, also need to look into how their decisions could differ in cases of similar nature.
Indicating that PPP also had reservations over the court’s decision in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s disqualification case, it opted not to criticise the judiciary.
Nawaz Sharif, he said, was highlighting the fact that the court did wrong by allowing PTI chief relief based on statute of limitations while ignoring the same in his case.
He said that he also wanted to point out that his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif also got similar relief in the Hudabiya Paper Mills case.
According to Kaira, there was no time bar on murder and corruption cases. Law takes its course whenever a person is caught,” he maintained.
The PPP leader said Nawaz Sharif could start a campaign against the judiciary in Punjab as there was his party’s government.
He could not do so elsewhere, he said, adding that if he had such a capability, he would have launched a movement against former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.
Kaira said that PPP supported Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) movement for justice for families of victims of the Model Town incident and would take part in PAT’s peaceful protest scheduled to be launched after December 31 this year.
According to him, several other political parties had pledged to lend support to the PAT in this regard.
It did not matter if Imran Khan also participated in the PAT event because the PPP had no connection with the PTI. “We never intended to form an alliance with his party.”
Name those conspiring against you or resign, Kaira tells Nawaz
Commenting on the upcoming general elections, he said that after passage of the election bill, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should start preparing for polls instead of wasting time on other matters.
“After the adoption of the delimitation bill … there is no question of early or delayed polls in the country, as demanded by Imran Khan and the ruling party, respectively.
In Tuesday’s briefing, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa had set a new precedent by accepting parliament’s supremacy which was a very positive sign.
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