PML-N seeks action against Justice Ahsan

Marriyum blames him and ex- judge Naqvi for country’s woes

LAHORE:

Unsatisfied with the resignations of the top jurists who it had criticised for giving judgments against its leaders, the PML-N on Thursday demanded that Supreme Court’s Justice Ijazul Ahsan must be held accountable and subjected to legal action.

Addressing a news conference following the resignation of Justice Ahsan, the senior puisne judge who the PML-N saw as a hurdle for its upcoming government, party’s central information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said his stepping down from the post was an admission of the allegations against him.

She added that a mere resignation could not exonerate the judge from his “terrible actions” against the people's elected leaders, democracy, and Constitution. Marriyum stressed that a resignation would not bury a plethora of controversial decisions and references against Justice Ahsan.

“The people of Pakistan demand that he [Justice Ahsan] must be held accountable for his actions in accordance with the law and merits of justice,” she continued.

The former federal information minister, while referring to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, raised the question that if a three-time elected premier could present himself, his entire family as well as political party for the most rigorous process of accountability, even in the circumstances primed for persecution and victimisation, why should any SC judge be exempted.

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The PML-N leader lashed out at Justice Ahsan for making a mockery of justice, the SC and the office of top court judge just to target, persecute, and victimise Nawaz.

“Today Nawaz Sharif is being vindicated and the bench that persecuted him is eventually facing its destiny,” she added. Marriyum maintained that individuals including Justice Ahsan and former SC judge Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, who had resigned a day earlier, were responsible for the economic destruction of Pakistan, massive unemployment, and excruciating inflation.

“They must answer to the people for their ‘deplorable’ actions,” she demanded. The PML-N leader claimed that this “like-minded group” of individuals used its power, position and influence to target Nawaz.

Marriyum continued that these individuals had forgotten that power and position were a sacred trust of the people and temporary. “The resignation of these judges is proof that they were guilty of all these horrendous crimes against the nation and Constitution,” she added.

“Black sheep like Ijazul Ahsan and Mazahar Ali Naqvi cause institutional turmoil with their actions,” she claimed, continuing that the SC was being strengthened with the exit of such people.

Marriyum also criticised the Peshawar High Court’s decision to reinstate PTI's electoral symbol of the ‘cricket bat’ despite the party “grossly violating” the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) rules and code of conduct.

Read Justice Ahsan baffled at SJC’s ‘haste’

The PML-N leader maintained that PTI founding chairman Imran Khan had proved once again through his party's “false” internal elections that he only believed in rigged and manipulated process of selection instead of holding democratic polls.

She added that Imran’s premiership and the PTI government became possible by rigging through the manipulation of the Results Transmission System (RTS). The ex-federal information minister claimed that Imran had become accustomed to winning the polls through rigging.

However, she did not comment on the PTI’s electoral symbol -- the ‘cricket bat’. PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah also spoke on this development. He said all parties should be given the concession of not holding internal polls.

Sanaullah maintained that the PHC’s decision had made the Election Act, 2017 redundant. He continued that the decision was a victory for the violation of rules and defeat for the law.

“The decision proves that they still favour the ‘blue-eyed’,” he claimed, referring to Imran. The former interior minister said the PHC’s decision was an encouragement of the perpetrators of last year’s violence on May 9.