ISLAMABAD: The federal government is counting on the Supreme Court’s intervention to help bring to an end its political standoff with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek over alleged poll irregularities and corruption.
Insiders told The Express Tribune that the ruling party is relying on the top court to get involved and stabilise the current wave of protests.
A five-judge bench of the apex court is hearing the plea of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) today (Wednesday). Furthermore, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Salman Aslam Butt will hold a special meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss the prevailing situation.
Lahore High Court Bar Association Multan bench moved a fresh petition in the apex court, listing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) as respondents. A senior lawyer has revealed that in view of this plea, the court would issue notices to both parties to redress their grievances. He added that the court may also form a special bench to hear the PTI’s concerns about the general election in 2013.
A joint meeting of the executive committees of the Pakistan Bar Council and the SCBA will also be convened today to consider the political situation in the country.
The ruling party’s reply
Replying to the SCBA president’s plea, the government has contended that demands made by the protesting parties have been issued as threats and are causing a shutdown in the country.
According to the reply, PTI chief Imran Khan made a virulent and seditious speech in the National Assembly and defied his constitutional oath by launching a civil disobedience movement. Furthermore, it stated that the subversive activities of the protesting parties have caused uncertainty and financial losses of over Rs400 billion to the country.
Furthermore, the government lamented that important events and meetings that were planned had to be postponed or cancelled because of these protests. For instance, the planned visit of the Sri Lankan president – which was scheduled for August 21 – and the IMF mission due for periodic review of international contractual obligations in Islamabad had to be postponed.
The reply also revealed that the PTI, PAT marches are ill-timed as the armed forces of Pakistan are engaged in a military offensive in North Waziristan.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th,2014.
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This is the same Nawaz Shareef who stormed the Supreme Court in the year 1999, and today he is depending on the Judges the Supreme Court to assist him. This shows his Govt. is totaly incompetent, his advisors, ministers are simply incompetent too with a far lesser degree knowledge of the consitutency and how to handle democracy. As far as the Supreme Court is concerned, the Judges working in the Supreme Court are mainly politicised with no proper knowledge as how to handle the law of a country on its merit. There will never be a free and fair verdict as long as the Judges are politicised in this country.
"Furthermore, it stated that the subversive activities of the protesting parties". It is laughable, don't they know that in democracy, the citizens has the basic human right to protest peacefully against killings of innocent people ( Lahore), corruption and nepotism, just look around you . The justices should know that the constitution guarantees the right of peaceful protest by the citizens and they should keep out of political matters, otherwise they will be considered involved with the government. The government has done wrong and they are answerable to the people or the Sharif Brothers are above the law. Shahbaz Sharif ordered the massacre in Model Town Lahore and he is still there and chirping. The higher judiciary in Pakistan does not have admirable track record, should I remind them of Z A Bhutto, I think they should look into that massacre in Lahore then interfering in the peaceful protests by these citizens. Why was NS so adamant not to have thumb verification in the 4 constituencies demanded by IK long time ago, does NS has any thing to hide. We are in this mess because of NS's inability to face the out come of the verification. IF indeed they have done fraud in the elections then it is hard for them to justify legitimacy of this current government.
Incitement to vandalism by Imran Khan. Incitement to blockade the Parliament are enough to call it off as an unlawful thug mob.
Our judiciary will do well to stay away from political issues. That would give it much needed respect.
Selfish PM prepared to do every damage to Pakistan to stay in power