ZULFIQAR AHMAD & NAVEED BUTT
ISLAMABAD: In a swipe at the superior judiciary after it turned down the coalition government’s request to set up a full bench to hear the chief minister Punjab election case, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday accused the top court of the country of having “double standards” with their treatment towards his government.
Speaking in the National Assembly, he said there should be equal justice for all and sundry, and added, “I respect the courts but one has to speak the truth on the floor of the National Assembly. The judiciary cannot treat me differently from someone else as I am also an elected representative of the people”.
“When the truth will be spoken, if not today,” said a visibly-perturbed prime minister among desk thumping, adding, “I ask that there was a time when a former chief justice took suo moto notices day and night […] when the courts summon then I think we should go with great respect but if you have to decide then it should be on the basis of truth and justice. It can’t happen that you treat me one way and treat someone else differently”.
He reiterated that he greatly respected the judiciary and was only talking about “double standards”, adding it was his right to do so as an elected representative of the people.
Sharif said that during the previous PTI government’s tenure “no one took notice” of various scandals such as wheat and sugar crises, the violation of its agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as irregularities in the Peshawar BRT project.
“Who planned to attack this parliament in 2014, who hung dirty clothes on the building of the Supreme Court, who asked the public to set fire the electricity bills … no one took notice, everyone was quiet,” he questioned.
The prime minister said that how long could such “double standards continue”, adding the apex court had deemed the actions of former deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri in March as a violation of the Constitution.
“That was a very good thing but no one summoned him. But the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker does an act and he was called to the court,” said the PM, while referring to the recent proceedings in the Supreme Court over the deputy speaker’s ruling and conduct during Friday’s Punjab chief minister election.
He said the constitution outlined the role and jurisdiction of the courts and other institutions, within which they were supposed to work.
He lamented that in the 75 years that had passed, the Constitution was tampered with and martial law established, causing Pakistan to break in two, and impeding democratic growth.
He lambasted the PTI government for its economic performance during its 3.5 years, adding the coalition government had resolved to come to power to save the country from defaulting.
“Did we come in power through a backdoor? This is the first time someone didn’t attack the Prime Minister’s House but the change occurred through the power of the vote, in accordance with the law. They changed that worst government and accepted the challenge to rule,” he added. The prime minister also addressed the country-wide devastation caused by monsoon rains and said the coalition government was well aware of it, adding he himself had held meetings with the provinces on the matter.
He said the provincial governments were working day and night for relief operations and the Centre was also playing its role.
He said he had called another meeting and that the government would increase the relief package announced for the people, adding “wherever there are losses, we will spare no opportunity to make up for them”. He announced maximum relief to the masses affected by rains in Balochistan and other parts of the country.
