Maryam declares CJP a 'threat to national security', warns of political reaction

PML-N leader says CJP lost dignity after becoming facilitator of a 'terrorist' who plays with country's destiny

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has strongly criticised Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, warning him to be prepared for a political reaction if he uses his position to serve the "political agenda" of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

The hard-hitting reaction came after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted Imran Khan interim bail for two weeks in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Friday.

Later, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — of whom the PML-N is also a part — announced that it will stage a protest demonstration in front of the Supreme Court on Monday over its "unjust behaviour".

"We have decided that we will protest against this behaviour. As someone who is representing the PDM, I appeal to the entire nation to reach Islamabad on Monday. We will stage a sit-in and protest in huge numbers," PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told reporters in Islamabad.

Read more: PM Shehbaz slams 'double standards of justice' for Imran

"If someone tries to stop us, we will reply back with clubs, slaps and punches if needed," he warned.

In her tweet shortly after Fazlur Rehman's announcement, Maryam said that being the chief justice does not mean handing over the state to someone who has burned every symbol of national dignity and defence using his hired goons.

She stated that protecting such a person from arrest in any case, treating him as a royal guest, and praising him is an insult not only to every Pakistani but also to the martyrs and veterans whose every symbol has been attacked.

چیف جسٹس ہونے کا مطلب ریاست کو اس شخص کی غلامی میں دینا نہیں جس نے اپنے پالتو غنڈوں کے ذریعے قومی وقار اور ملکی دفاع کی ہر علامت کو جلا کر راکھ کردیا ۔ایسے شخص کو کسی بھی مقدمے میں گرفتاری سے روکنا ، اسے شاہی مہمان بنا کر رکھنا ، اس کے نخرے اٹھانا ہر پاکستانی کے علاوہ ان شہیدوں…

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 12, 2023

"Chief Justice sahib! You are no longer a symbol of justice. You have become a threat to the Constitution, the rule of law, and national security. After becoming a facilitator of a terrorist who plays with the destiny of the country, you have lost your dignity," Maryam said.

She warned that the top judge should be prepared for a "political reaction" is he continues using his position to serve Imran Khan's political agenda.

Read: PM Shehbaz addresses nation in wake of Imran's arrest

The remarks come a day after the top court came to Imran Khan's rescue as it declared his arrest by the country's top graft-buster from the premises of the IHC illegal and directed immediate release of the PTI chief.

Dozens of troops of paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday broke into an office of the IHC and whisked Imran Khan away in an armoured vehicle in a whirlwind raid while executing the arrest warrant issued against the former premier by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The PTI on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court against Imran’s arrest as violent protests erupted across the country after the development — protests that involved attacks on security personnel and arson of military and civil properties.

In a three-page written order, the apex court bench noted that the manner of execution of the arrest warrant – issued by the NAB chairman on May 1 in the Al-Qadir Trust case – within the premises of the Islamabad High Court against the petitioner was invalid and unlawful.

Khan, 70, is a cricket hero-turned-politician who was ousted as prime minister in April 2022 in a parliamentary no-confidence vote and who is Pakistan's most popular leader, according to opinion polls.

PTI supporters have stormed military establishments, set ablaze a state broadcaster building, smashed buses, ransacked a top army official's house, and attacked other assets, leading to nearly 2,000 arrests and the army being deployed for help.

At least eight people have been killed in the violence that has worsened the country's instability and doused hopes of resumption of a crucial International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, according to Reuters.

The army, which remains Pakistan's most powerful institution, having ruled it directly for close to half its 75-year history through three coups, has warned against further attacks on its assets and has called the violence "pre-planned".