CJP's 'honest premier' remark misconstrued: AGP

Following uproar in the Senate over Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s alleged "honest prime minister" remark, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Shehzad Ata Elahi issued a clarification on Monday stating that the observation regarding CJP’s remarks was “incorrect”.

In a letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the AGP urged Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to share correct facts in this regard with fellow parliamentarians for setting the record straight.

The AGP stated that he was present in the court during the hearing and can confirm that no such remark on the honesty of the prime ministers of Pakistan was made by the apex court chief justice.

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“The CJP went on to comment on the then deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Khan Junejo being a very good and independent man who was removed through Article 58(2)(b),” clarified the AGP.

Elahi added that the observation, that Junejo was the "only honest premier" of the country, seems to have “been misconstrued and misstated".

The clarification comes a week after the Senate witnessed a heated debate between the treasury and the opposition members as both locked horns over CJP Bandial’s “remarks” during a hearing on the appeal against the NAB law amendments.

During the hearing, the federal government’s lawyer contended that the court should not govern the country. The chief justice replied that the court did not wish to run the country but a political vacuum was difficult for the people.

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The chief justice’s remarks echoed in the Senate session, chaired by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. The issue was raised in the house by PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui. He said that parliament was the representative of the people of Pakistan and neither the judiciary nor the armed forces.

Siddiqui said that the chief justice had given such remarks that had no direct relation to either parliament or the elections. He added that the chief justice called only one prime minister honest, which would probably be Muhammad Khan Junejo.

“Who gave him the privilege to call everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest,” Siddiqui asked.

“Have we [parliamentarians] ever named a single judge and said that only one judge is honest,” he added. “Let us make it clear, we respect the judiciary.”