‘Successors of Zia’: Sharif, Zardari trying to delay elections, says Fawad

Any delay in holding polls will shake the foundations of Constitution, says PTI leader

PTI leader Fawad Chaduhry said on Tuesday that the Sharif family and PPP’s ’Zardari group’ are following in former military ruler General (retd) Ziaul Haq’s footsteps as they are “trying to delay the elections in the country”.

“They [Sharif and Zardari families] have proved themselves as the successor of General Ziaul Haq who imposed martial law in the country and postponed the elections for nine years,” he said while speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court.

He made these remarks following the hearing of the suo motu case regarding delay in the announcement of the date of provincial assemblies’ elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

A five-member larger bench of the apex court led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial concluded the two-day long proceedings in the case on Tuesday and a verdict in the case would be announced on Wednesday (tomorrow) before 11am.

“Supreme Court is the saviour of the Constitution… their primary job is to protect the Constitution… don’t make Supreme Court a part of public debate,” Fawad said while referring to the ruling PDM’s leaders’ criticism of the top court.

“If elections are delayed beyond 90 days it will shake the foundations of the Constitution… we hope that the court’s verdict will be based on Constitution, he added.

The PTI leader appreciated the apex court for taking suo motu notice of delay in the announcement of polls in Punjab and K-P, saying judiciary’s intervention was the way to resolve the matter following the refusal of the governors to announce election date.

Also read: Maryam wants justice first, elections later

He also referred to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s statement wherein she stated the general elections will definitely be held but first both sides of the scales will have to be balanced by overturning the conviction of “innocent Nawaz Sharif” and bringing Imran Khan to justice.

“After (PTI Chairman) Imran Khan's 200 appearances before the court will be completed, elections will be held,” Maryam, who is also the party’s chief organiser, said while addressing a workers’ convention in Sahiwal on Monday.

“Her statement is similar to what General Ziaul Haq had said ‘first accountability then elections’. Subsequently, General Zia delayed the elections for nine years,” Fawad Chaudhry maintained in today’s media interaction.

He said during the hearing of the suo motu case, the PML-N also employed its “old tactics to divide the Supreme Court”.

“They [government] are planning to arrest and disqualify Imran Khan before holding general elections.”