Govt opens political front against CJ Bandial

Cabinet accuses chief justice Bandial of misconduct; Fazl announces sit-in at SC on Monday

ISLAMABAD:

In what appeared to be a political front against the Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, the federal cabinet accused him of “misconduct”, while the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced to stage sit-in at the Supreme Court on Monday.

The Federal cabinet strongly condemned on Friday the extraordinary intervention of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) in the arrest of former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, saying it was “misconduct” on part of the CJP.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif minced no words in his trenchant criticism of the chief justice during the cabinet meeting, accusing him of protecting the corruption of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.

As PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced plans for a sit-in at the apex court, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz warned the chief justice on Friday of get ready for a political backlash.

Read more: Imran leaves IHC premises after hours-long delay due to ‘security issues’

The federal cabinet meeting, chaired by the prime minister, condemned the chief justice’s “interference” in the corruption case against Imran. The cabinet declared that the chief justices was “guilty of misconduct”, therefore he should be removed from the office.

The cabinet met a day after a three-member bench of the apex court, led by the chief justice declared the arrest of Imran by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al Qadir Trust case on May 9 as illegal.

The ministers noted that Imran was arrested in accordance with the law and the prevailing legal procedures in an “open and shut case of corruption and corrupt practices”. The cabinet declared it judicial “misconduct”.

Addressing the cabinet, Prime Minister Shehbaz disapproved the “double standards of justice”. He also mentioned that way the chief justice greeted a corruption accused by saying: “Good to see you” was a blot on the face of justice.

Shehbaz said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was tried on a daily basis. “I wish the judiciary would also greet Nawaz Sharif saying: ‘good to see you’. These double standards are the funeral of justice.”

The chief justice has given an NRO to Imran Khan, Shehbaz said, referring to the political amnesty given by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf through the National Reconciliation Ordinance in 2007.

“There is a case of corruption of Rs60 billion against Imran, but the judiciary has become an iron wall to protect him,” he continued. The chief justice “is protecting his favourite’s corruption,” he added.

The cabinet also criticised President Dr Arif Alvi over his letter to the prime minister following Imran’s arrest. The ministers said that the letter was “a proof” that Alvi was working more as a party worker than the head of the state.

In the letter, Alvi wrote that he was “shocked” over the manner in which former prime minister was arrested from inside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises, adding that Imran was a popular leader and the head of a major political party.

At the outset of the federal cabinet meeting, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar briefed the meeting on the overall political situation as well as the about PTI chairman’s arrest, his subsequent release and the protest that took place in various parts of the country.

Following Imran’s arrest, the protesters took to the streets and attacked, ransacked and torched key government buildings, including the General Headquarters (GHQ), the residence of the corps commander Lahore and Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar.

The prime minister said that after December 16, 1971 – the fall of erstwhile East Pakistan – May 9 was the most tragic day for Pakistan, when Imran Khan’s party unleashed havoc by attacking the sensitive national installations.

He recalled that despite the tragedy of the assassination of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto, her husband raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khappay’ meaning ‘We want Pakistan’ as a great gesture of nationalism.

But the leadership of PTI pushed the country toward the brink of a dangerous situation. “Imran Khan incurred every possible damage to the very fabric of the society by promoting hatred and intolerance.”

PDM announces sit-in

Separately, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that they did not accept the 3-2 order of the apex court for holding Punjab Assembly elections on May 14. He announced that the alliance would stage sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Monday.

“We do not accept the decision of 2-3. We have decided to protest against the behaviour of the Supreme Court, with a huge sit-in outside the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that the chief justice could not take suo motu notice on his own.

Speaking about the release of former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday, Fazl said that the Supreme Court ahd provided protection to a corrupt. “See, where our judiciary stands. Pakistan's economy, the law and the Constitution have been put on stake," he said.

Later the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Media Cell said that Fazl had called the party workers from all over the country to Islamabad on May 14. “We will render all kinds of sacrifices for the supremacy of the law and the Constitution,” JUI spokesperson Aslam Ghori said.

The PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari announced that the party would participate in the sit-in. Bukhari directed the party workers from all over the country to reach the Supreme Court on Monday.

Separately, PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz said in a tweet that the chief justice had been using his position in favour of Imran's politics so he should be prepared for political backlash.

“You are using your position for Imran's politics. You are no longer the judiciary,” she said, addressing the chief justice. “You have lost your respect after becoming facilitator of a terrorist and playing with the fate of the country.”