Pointing fingers: Nawaz thrashes govt for ‘waging war’ against the judiciary

PML-N chief insists cases against president Zardari are ‘genuine’.

KARACHI: Joining the chorus against a beleaguered government, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has asserted that the cases against the president were ‘genuine’ and the country is witnessing complete defiance of the Supreme Court orders by the current government, Express News reported.

“The cases against Zardari are genuine. How long will the government hide behind the pretext of immunity,” asked Nawaz while talking to anchor Javed Chaudhry in an interview with Express News.

“The foreign courts have already declared that part of the $60 million included kickbacks and stolen money... this money belonged to the people and they can not run away with it.”

Nawaz said that the people of the country do not care about President Asif Ali Zardari’s immunity and are more concerned about their money that was transferred to Swiss banks.

Nawaz said that the money was transferred overnight into Swiss banks. “The nation should get its money back,” he added.

“Immunity or no immunity, my question is where are the $60 million,” asked Nawaz.

“Immunity is a question that the country can deal with later, the real question at hand right now is: where is the money?

Why no letter?

Commenting on the government’s stance on writing letters to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Zardari, Nawaz said: “Letters should have been written as soon as the Supreme Court’s orders were released. The court has been reiterating it, but they (the government) are making excuses and violating orders continuously.”

Nawaz stated let alone the writing the letter to the Swiss, the Supreme Court’s orders have been completely violated time and again by the ruling party.

The PML-N chief also censured the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying that there were differing statements within the party regarding the president’s immunity. “Some say he has immunity, some say he doesn’t.”

The PML-N chief stated that the question of the president’s immunity will now be decided by the courts.

“If you ask me, President Zardari’s immunity question now hangs in the balance of the court’s decision. They seem to have taken up the matter.”

Civil-military standoff

Regarding the Memogate case and the increasingly bitter standoff between the civilian government and the powerful military establishment, the PML-N leader said that both the parties were making “unnecessary” moves.

“The prime minister’s remarks against the chief of army staff were completely unnecessary. He should’ve avoided making such comments. It was unacceptable,” asserted Nawaz.

On the other hand, he contended that even the army’s response was not acceptable. “They cannot address the prime minister of their country in those words.

“Ideally both the parties should’ve sat together in the president or PM house... and solved it through dialogue without making a mockery of the country in front of the media.”

What about the allies?

Hitting out at the ruling party’s allies, Nawaz said: “Are the PPP’s coalition partners not witnessing that the government has decided to wage a battle against the judiciary of the country just to ensure that they can pocket this $60 million?

“Why then are they supporting the govt?”

He stated had the PML-N not been in the opposition, this government would’ve passed the NRO.

“They would’ve crushed the judiciary’s orders beneath their feet.”

Aitzaz Ahsan

He also criticised Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan who represented Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani during his contempt of court hearing on Thursday, saying, “He (Aitzaz) had played his role in freeing the judiciary and fulfilled his national duty, but today he has changed his statement.”