ISLAMABAD:
The ruling party’s patience is running thin.
In a sign of growing frustration towards the judiciary, an overwhelming majority of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders has advised Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf not to appear before the Supreme Court on August 27.
A five-member bench, hearing a case of implementation of an earlier Supreme Court order on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), has summoned the prime minister on August 27 to explain why he failed to write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen a graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The government has already filed a review petition for that order and the hearing into the plea is scheduled for Wednesday (today).
‘Enough’
It is still undecided whether Prime Minister Ashraf would appear before the court on August 27 or not, said adviser to the prime minister on political affairs Chaudhry Fawad.
Fawad, who is also a member of the legal team defending the government against several challenges in the Supreme Court, said that most party leaders were not in favour of sending the premier to the court.
Attorney General Irfan Qadir also spoke against the apex court summons.
“In my opinion, the court’s decision is unconstitutional and the government could ignore it,” he added. Sources say the PPP leadership feels the judiciary is going ‘too far’ in asserting its authority and powers. There are fears the court might start framing contempt charges against Premier Ashraf if he refuses to write the letter to Swiss authorities.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court disqualified Raja’s predecessor, Yousaf Raza Gilani, for contempt of court after he kept on refusing to write the same letter.
President to decide
A party leader, on Tuesday, said the final decision on sending the premier to the top court would be taken by President Zardari after consultations with associates.
“I don’t know what will be the final decision but the mood in the party is different this time around. People are angry at the judiciary and telling the prime minister to defy its orders,” revealed the PPP official.
According to the attorney general, summoning of the prime minister by the apex court is unconstitutional and the review petition would seek the withdrawal of that directive.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.
COMMENTS (12)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713268762-0/Netflix-(3)1713268762-0-270x192.webp)
Very well done and very impressive PPP.Keep it up you are setting new standards and ways of disobeying,disrespecting and dishonoring the Supreme Court and its decisions for the next generations/political governments and politicians........
Pl do not think of today,SC is there for ever,Prime Ministers come and go,sense should prevail otherwise Peoples Party will lose face in the eyes of masses.
Follow the tradition of IG FC.
that makes sense... if the lawmaker cant or would not go to court,,,,, why should an ordinary citizen follow justice, judiciary and the worry about the care takers of the law..
SC should show patience coz PPP wants political martyrs to win seats in elections
That's ok, it's not like we expect you to follow the law anyway. The law is for the common man only.
PPP believe that people have given them a mandate to “rule” and “loot” the country in any way they can and no law of the land can challenge their authority. PPP has never believed on rule of law nor practiced it. No wonder Zardari’s biggest fear was an independent judiciary and he didn’t want to restore it until he saw a sea of people moving towards Islamabad to displace his government. At that point he gave in and restored the judiciary.
Now that his term is coming to an end and he will not be able to hide long behind his presidential shield. He wants to continue as long as he can as everyday bring more coin in his as well as his cronies’ pockets. He and his cronies are attacking Judiciary every day and coming up with false accusations. He has succeeded in chipping way many of Judiciary movement’s leaders but still they all haven’t been able to tarnish Judiciary’s credibility. No matter what Zardari does his days are numbered and then he and his cronies have to stand in front of the court and cough up the loot they have snatched from poor people of Pakistan.
PM should go to the court.
Yes, dont go to court. Thats what our lawless "lawmakers" are telling the people of this country. If the "lawmakers" dont go to the court (which "keeps" the law of the land secure), why do you expect the ordinary people to go?
Is there an end to the lawlessness of this government?
Go or don't go, the verdict will be the same.
The Judiciary has become a joke. PM should ignore them.