Whatever happens to Awan, the PPP government has a lot more to worry about. By now it should be obvious that the Supreme Court will pursue charges against the government, especially on the NRO case, with the prime minister scheduled to appear in court today. There are some who say that despite its welcome judicial activism, the Court has not been the neutral dispenser of justice given that illegal actions by military dictators in the past have hardly attracted judicial censure or disapproval. The problem that the PPP has is that it just cannot disengage from the Court the way Awan did in his contempt of Court proceedings. The government tried to do just that when the Supreme Court challenged the appointment of the National Accountability Bureau’s chief and ended up having to grovel and apologise. It has tried a similar tack in the NRO case by refusing to write to the Swiss authorities asking them to reopen cases against Zardari and that too will end in tears.
Defiance has cost Babar Awan his ability to practice law; if the PPP remains similarly bullheaded it will have its ability to govern snatched away from it.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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This PCO SC is the most politically motivated court in the history of the country. They have given up all their cases except against the elected govt.
@Peer Pinjar: Yeah you are right... It was the job of PBC to rusticate the licence of this insolent lawyer but was done by SC as a retribution. No one has the slightest doubt upon the disrespectful behavior of this gentleman, and subsequent attempt on political point scoring. You can talk about the legal imperfections of the decision but cannot deny the need for teaching a lesson.
@Tehreek-e-Insaf FATA: Whether its a Memo scandal case or it is NRO implementation case Pakistan’s Supreme Court is making itself a political force, SC is continuously growing its pressure over a democratic Government and it’s actions and methods may even trigger a Military Coup. Despite all the bad governance, incompetence and spineless decisions by the Government but it does not mean SC should become in-charge of everything, we must remember the Difference between being appointed and being elected, (http://707monty.blogspot.com/2012/01/supreme-court-is-making-itself.html) these Judges are appointed not elected and the Prime Minister is only answerable to Parliament not to the people who are appointed by him.
"Trying to Court MARTYRDOM" is the Best Description of what PPP Govt is doing these days... In Urdu it is called "Aa Bail Mujhe Maar"...