PM Shehbaz sees SC bench composition against norms of justice
Pakistan
It is degrading to be indicted in criminal case, PM says
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday it was absolutely against the norms of justice to have justice served by the Supreme Court (SC) bench hearing the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) elections' case.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, is hearing the case and will announce the verdict the Supreme Court (SC) reserved after intense arguments on Tuesday.
Addressing the National Assembly (NA) session soon after the PML-N's parliamentary party meeting, the PM said the coalition partners had unanimously expressed “no confidence” on the bench, adding that the country would not be reluctant to accept the verdict if the SC’s full bench, without these three judges on it, had announced it. “When I put forward my recommendations before the NA a few days ago, the CJP remarked that some people had been delivering speeches after facing the jails”, he added.
He went on to say that Pakistan’s history was replete with instances of [politicians] going to jail, adding that it was degrading in a justice-friendly society to get indicted in criminal cases. “Only the opposition was sent to jails in PTI’s tenure and Mr Khan was ready to send me to jail for the third time too,” he added. The court granted me bail, he said, when I had faced jail for the first time in PTI’s tenure.
Mr Sharif said Mr Khan’s lawyer Naeem Bukhari had filed a petition seeking revocation of my bail, adding that Mr Bukhari ran away upon hearing the judge’s remarks. “A full bench of the LHC granted me bail in the second case and I am addressing the House after getting bail on merit,” he added.
The PM continued by saying that he was only responsible for raising his voice against the destruction the PTI government had caused. He said Mr Khan perceived us as an obstacle to his way. “It is my crime that the opposition alliance elected me as PM,” he added. He asked if it was a matter of shame to address the house with your head up.
