Fawad says PML-N will now target institutions

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Sunday engaged in a war of words with the former alleging that the latter would now target the institutions after criticising the judiciary, as it had realised its mistake of siding with the establishment.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had said that the PML-N would not accept the "unilateral" decisions by the Supreme Court after it ruled that Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz will work as a trustee CM till Monday (July 25).

The Supreme Court's decision came during a hearing on PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi's petition against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab CM’s election.

"Amid pressure due to bullying, threats, misbehaviour and abuse, if the house of justice makes specific decisions via the same bench — and negates itself, negates its own decisions, puts its weight behind one side — do not expect us to bow our heads before such one-sided decisions. Enough is enough!" the PML-N leader tweeted.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that institutions are stuck in a vortex due to the errors of their leadership, and nothing negative would have occurred if they had stayed within their limits.

The former information minister said that the recent strategy of the PML-N would completely exclude the party from politics, however, institutions would suffer because of the mistakes of their leadership.

“PML-N will now target the institutions,” he stated.

He maintained that the PML-N was only just realising that it had made a mistake by siding with the establishment against Imran Khan, and they were now making statements against the judiciary and statements against the army would begin in the coming days.

He claimed that the flaw in the incumbent ruling party’s scheme was that the masses were no longer like those in the 1990s and that the PML-N’s competition was PTI chief Imran Khan.

Read PML-N’s game is over in Punjab, says Farrukh Habib after SC ruling

“The PML-N was born from the womb of the establishment, but it decided among themselves that one brother would do pro-establishment politics while the other would sell anti-establishment slogans,” Fawad alleged, adding that if one brother's plan failed, the other would advance his.

He said that the same formula was being transferred to the next generation of PML-N politicians.

Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid said that there was very little time left to save the country from economic crisis.

“We have to take important decisions before August 30, otherwise no one will be able to run the government,” Rashid said on Twitter. “Due to political instability, the country is heading towards default.”

He said that the government did not have dollars to buy raw materials. “If the state is strong, politics will also work.”

Reacting to Fawad’s statement, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “He who abuses and threatens institutions should not portray themselves as their representative.”

She said that PTI chief Imran Khan "will not be allowed to play the game of establishment and anti-establishment to return to power" and no one will be allowed to mess with the Constitution and the law.

"We will not allow the murder of justice with this bullying, these threats and insults. The narrative of Nawaz Sharif and Muslim League (N) is and will remain in line with the Constitution," she said. "Stop dragging the army and judiciary into politics."

Addressing a news conference in Lahore, the PML-N rejected the accusation of propaganda about institutions, saying it respects institutes, including the judiciary, from the heart.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Punjab Home Minister Atta Tarar spoke to the media persons. Azam requested the Supreme Court that Article 63A revision application should be heard along with the case against Hamza Shehbaz’s win as the Punjab chief minister.

He said the interpretation of Article 63A is the basic issue, adding that from the option of formation of a larger bench or a full court, the latter should be set up. “The decision of the Supreme Court of 2015 and 2018 are available in this regard.”