Imran being brought to power via judiciary: Mashud

Says those asking for sacrifices should give sacrifices themselves

LAHORE:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Mashud on Friday claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who was brought to power via "rigging" in 2018, was again being brought to power via "judicial rigging".

He also issued a veiled threat apparently to judges that if they did not fix their ways, more damning audios would soon be out.

Addressing a news conference here, Mashud, seemingly following the party line, took a dig at the judiciary, accusing it of providing shelter to the PTI chief.

He said that an accountability drive should be imitated in the country that should start from the judges, adding that they would not let them operate like this.

He said that the judiciary of the day had no concern about who weakened Pakistan by conspiring against it, rather they were more worried about the appointment of Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar.

He claimed that the reason for reinstating him was simple as they wanted to give Imran as much time as possible, so that when his bail got cancelled, a "blue-eyed boy" was there to stop that from happening.

This act had refreshed the memory of the infamous "Dogar Court", he added.

The PML-N leader said that the entire country had "paid the price" for the judicial decision. In a way, he held judges responsible for the current state of affairs of the country.

He said that Pakistan was progressing by leaps and bounds under Nawaz Sharif’s rule and this was not liked by the anti-Pakistan forces, which was why he was ousted from power.

A conspiracy was hatched against Nawaz, suo motus were taken, even transfers and postings were done on judicial orders, he claimed, adding that the judiciary tried dictating the government.

Blaming former chief justice Saqib Nisar, he said that even the good governance model of Shehbaz Sharif was "pummeled". "Justice Khosa even asked Imran Khan to bring his petition to the court. The institutions were stopped from working," he claimed.

Mashud said that if the judiciary wanted to charge him with contempt of court, let it be. He said that if they were to save this country, an accountability drive be initiated starting with the judiciary.

He also alleged that judges showered their families with privileges. "Some of your secrets are out, more will be out soon," he added.

He said that all they asked from the judiciary was to fix its ways and uphold the law.

When asked when more audios would be released, he jokingly said that he was not aware of any more audios, but he presumed where these came from, more would also be there.

To the recent audios, involving a judge, the PML-N leader said that if these audios were real, a judicial commission should be made. He said that during a case regarding the removal of Lahore CCPO, they questioned the delay in elections.

"Your real face has been exposed before the people. People will have to take to the roads," he said, adding that if the people had come out on the roads when Nawaz was called a "Godfather and Sicilian mafia", things would not have deteriorated to this level.

Providing credence to media report wherein Maryam Nawaz was quoted to have distanced herself from the her party’s central government, he said that today, those responsible for inflation, poverty, price hikes and devastation of economy were comfortably sitting in their grand castles, whereas people were being asked to prepare themselves for more taxes and more sacrifices.

They should give sacrifices, he said, adding that sacrifice should be given by the judiciary, and they should leave their pay and surrender their perks.

He said that there were two judicial systems in the country. "Imran while sitting at home gets a bail. The Lahore High Court instead of calling him to the courts, asked him when he would be comfortable visiting the court. Is the same facility available for a common man? If such a system is to be maintained, the Constitution should be thrown in the garbage," he declared.

Earlier in the day, provincial party spokesperson also held a presser on similar lines, wherein she had too vehemently criticised the judiciary. Several other leaders of the party had held news conferences in the backdrop of audio leaks.

Since last week, the party had begun a campaign against the judiciary, criticising judges for keeping discriminatory attitudes with the rest and according a white glove treatment to Imran. This is not the first time the PML-N had gone on a smear campaign against judiciary. Back in 2017, Nawaz was ousted from power and later sentenced mainly on charges of money laundering.

The PML-N had then launched a similar campaign that landed some party leaders behind bars.

Provincial spokesperson Azma Bukhari said that there were two judicial systems in Pakistan, one for Nawaz, where a monitoring judge was deputed for no investigation, JIT made on WhatsApp, day-to-day hearings were conducted and decisions were given to judges on envelopes.

The other one, she said, was for Imran. She added that Imran was the "son-in-law of the system" as he got a stay and bail in all these cases.