PPP urges SC to take notice of Pir Pagara’s statement
Pir Pagara defended former prime minister Imran Khan against accusations of corruption, asserting, "If he is a thief, then we all are thieves". SCREENGRAB
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has urged the judiciary to take notice of the remarks made by the Grand Democratic Alliance's (GDA) leader, accusing them of supporting a potential coup.
Speaking at the press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday, PPP Sindh President, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, brought the Supreme Court's attention to the statement made by GDA chief Pir Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi.
Khuhro quoted Pir Pagara as suggesting that the judiciary might endorse an emergency or martial law, which he deemed as a looming possibility.
Pir Pagara also predicted a short duration for any coalition government formed by PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), estimating it to last no longer than eight to ten months.
Khuhro condemned Pir Pagara's statement, alleging that it unjustly implicated the judiciary and constituted slander. "By advocating for martial law, Pir Pagara is violating Article 6 of the constitution," Khuhro asserted.
He further criticised Pir Pagara for abstaining from the election campaign, accusing him of remaining inactive while GDA candidates canvassed without their leadership.
Accusing GDA, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) of attempting to instigate chaos in the country, Khuhro referenced past remarks by PTI leader Imran Khan about using nuclear weapons.
Read GDA’s sit-in protest against ‘rigging’ starts on Friday
He argued that GDA and JUI-F leadership similarly sought to pave the way for martial law due to their electoral losses.
Khuhro emphasised that Pakistan cannot afford another undemocratic regime, citing PPP's decision to support a PML-N candidate for prime minister as a move towards restoring stability.
He clarified that PPP's support would not entail joining the federal government, but, would support democracy.
Speaking of the sit-in protests by GDA and JUI-F, Khuhro noted that these parties did not receive a mandate from the people of Sindh in previous elections.
He questioned the absence of protests in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), where JUI-F lost previously held constituencies, unlike in Sindh.
Khuhro criticised the disruption caused by the parties' blockades of highways and motorways in Sindh, highlighting the adverse impact on ordinary citizens.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th 2024.