Phone tapping aims to pressure judges: Imran

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has said that the vile propaganda campaign against the judiciary, especially the judges, was shameful, claiming that the PML-N has a history of assaulting the judiciary and it started the bad practice of buying judges.

The former prime minister expressed these views while talking to columnists and senior writers on Saturday.

He claimed that efforts were being made to pressure the judges through illegal phone tapping and thus preventing them from playing their role in upholding the supremacy of the Constitution. “The judiciary was the nation’s only hope and hence they should make the Constitution and law supreme without taking any pressure,” he added.

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He alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was supporting the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in violating the Constitution, adding that attempts were being made to frighten their allies through political victimisation and hence the incumbent rulers were promoting political dictatorship in the country.

“We will stop this shameful series of lawlessness, violation of democratic values and economic destruction with the support of the nation,” he added.

“It is impossible to achieve stability in Pakistan without establishing the rule of law and economic stability cannot be achieved without political stability,” he said, adding that the fundamental rights were being flouted to enslave the nation.

He reiterated that former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa admitted that he changed the government and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was under his influence; “hence, he violated his oath”.

“Bajwa told me that since the US was not happy (with Pakistan), he made the statement, which contradicted the government’s policy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. We should have remained neutral on the issue of Ukraine,” he added.

The PTI chief claimed that Bajwa also admitted that he recorded the phone calls, which was an illegal act; “hence, the military should hold an inquiry into this”.

Talking about the finance bill 2023, he commended President Arif Alvi for not signing the ordinance, warning that new taxes would unleash a new wage of inflation in the country.

Meanwhile, in his tweet, the PTI chairman condemned the terrorist attack on Karachi Police Office, castigating the coalition government for the recent wage of terrorism in the country.

He said that once again brave policemen were targeted.

He held the government responsible for the attack; “the sudden spike in terrorism, especially amid urban centres, reflects a failure of intelligence and the state’s lack of a clear proactive anti-terrorism policy”.

Meanwhile, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi called on the PTI chief at his Zaman Park residence, sources disclosed.

Both the leaders condemned the PML-N’s anti-judiciary drive.

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During the meeting, both the leaders discussed the country’s prevailing political situation and the ‘Jail Bharo’ movement.

The PTI chairman told Elahi that the PML-N’s top brass was continuously attacking the judiciary in their speeches, adding that instead of following the Lahore High Court orders, they only focused on “political victimisation” against the PTI leaders and workers.

While announcing his support for the movement, the PML-Q leader castigated the coalition government for not announcing a date for the elections (in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) and not following the LHC orders.

He said that the incumbent rulers were afraid of Imran’s popularity, adding that they were damaging the sanctity of the Constitution. “Imran is the only hope for the masses, which is being crushed by soaring inflation,” he added.

Later, the All Muslim League chief and former federal interior minister Sheikh Rashid also held a meeting with the PTI chairman and deliberated on the prevailing political situation.

While talking to the media outside the PTI chief’s residence, Rashid said that whoever delays elections beyond 90 days would be a traitor. “Article 6 will apply and hence immediate elections should be held in the country.”

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He averred that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz was like a daughter to him and thus it would be inappropriate to comment on her.

However, he did say that Maryam claimed that this was not her government; then she should tell the nation whose government it was.

“Maryam should tell the nation who is running the government and how it came to power,” he added.

He averred that Imran Khan was the voice of the nation and the people had to stand with him.

On a lighter note, he told the media that Imran gave him a cigar box as a gift after his release from jail. “Probably, he gave a cigar box to someone for the first time in his life,” he added.