Memon, Wahab denounce ‘PTI hooliganism’ at SC Lahore

Say person mocking the Constitution and laws of the country should be punished

KARACHI:

Sindh Provincial Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Barrister Murtaza Wahab have said that PTI goons tried to climb over the walls and gates of Supreme Court Lahore Registry last night which is equal to attack on the apex court.

They condemned the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf workers act and demanded apex court to take suo moto action on the matter.

They added that Pakistan People's Party believes that the full court should be constituted for hearing petition on rulling of deputy speaker Punjab Assembly. They were of view that PTI and it's chief using tactics to pressurize the superior judiciary only to take decisions in his favor.

They expressed these views while holding a joint press conference at Ferier Hall on Saturday.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that law is equal for every citizen, no one is above the law. He added that Pakistan People's Party strongly demands that the full court be constituted on the petition pertaining to Deputy speaker rulling.

He said that the goons of PTI tried to climbed up the walls and gates of Supreme Court Lahore Registry at night which is equal to attack on apex court of the country. It is a condemble act. He said that the PTI chief is spreading hatred and incitement in the whole country. ' The Supreme Court take cognizance of this matter, ' he appealed. He blamed that aim of Imran Khan is to keep the courts, election commission and the establishment under pressure so that he can take his desired decision.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the foreign funding case is an important case. first Imran Khan used delay tactics, now PTI targeting Election Commission. The purpose of speaking against the Election Commissioner is that if the decision comes against him, he can say that he (Imran) was against the election commission, that's why such decision came.

He said that on the letter of Asad Umar, twenty members of provincial assembly of Punjab were disqualified. Now, when deputy speaker Punjab Assembly has given his rulling based on the letter of PML-Q chief Chaudhary Shujaat . The PTI trying to make it controversial and filed petition seeking decision in their favor. He said that law is equal for every one. It is strange that there is separate decision for PTI and another law for the rest of the country.

The provincial minister said that the Peshawar High Court had given verdict on BRT, neither the NAB reference was filed nor investigation into kickbacks worth billions of rupees initiated. He added that thieves had gone to court for seeking stay order on the matter and they got a stay order.

In response to a question, Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Imran Khan is Bal Thackeray and PTI is Shiv Sena as Imran Khan has been targeting all institutions. He said that when the coalition government came into power, no one was targeted on the basis of political revenge.

But now it's high time for the federal and provincial governments to give shut up call to those goons of PTI who were busy in running the campaigns against the institutions and their heads. He said that NAB and other intitution had become active when ever anyone criticised their policies during their (PTI) tenure. Sharjeel appealed the supreme court to take notice of the PTI chief's protest call. He added that if no action is taken against them then everyone will take the law into their hands which will create anarchy in the country.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that they had said earlier that Pakistan Tehreek Insaf is ' Tehreek Intishaar' .

They had history of hurling accusations and spreading anarchy which was unprecedented in the past. The Provincial Law Advisor said that PTI had defended the ruling of Muzaffar Shah when he rejected the seven votes of Yusuf Raza Gilani in the Senate Chairman election. PTI argued that the presiding officer's ruling could not be challenged. Yousuf Raza Gilani had challenged the ruling in the Islamabad High Court.

The IHC rejected the petition arguing that it is not in their domain to interfere in parliament proceedings .

He reminded that the Pakistan Peoples Party filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Islamabad High Court decision but no hearing on the matter had taken place till date.

He said that when the Speaker of the National Assembly had adopted unconstitutional methods when PTI was in power, even then it was said that the speaker has this authority . He opined that Chaudhry Shujaat is the head of the PML-Q.

The decision of Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly cannot be seen in terms of ruling of Qasim Suri.

Wahab clarified that the courts will not come under any pressure and act according to the law.

He said that 20 MPAs of Punjab Assembly were deseated only on Asad Umar's letter. If Chowdhury Shujaat was not the president of the party, why was he not removed from the list of the Election Commission of Pakistan?

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2022.