It's a mafia that pressurises judges to take decisions in their favour: PM Imran Khan

Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said "they are a mafia that pressurises judges to take decisions in their favour," as he referred to the serious allegations against the former chief justice of Pakistan in a couple of recent events.

Earlier this month, former chief justice Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamin had alleged that ex-CJP Saqib Nisar "had given instructions to keep former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz in jail till the general elections in 2018," a claim which ex-chief justice completely denied.

This was followed by an audio clip leak — allegedly featuring Nisar — in which a man could be heard saying that "Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz would have to be punished to make space for Imran Khan in politics."

In the audio clip, the man could allegedly be heard saying that "even though there are no cases against Maryam Nawaz, she would still have to be punished."

Today, PM Imran Khan directed PTI's spokespersons to highlight the past of PML-N and tell the people how the party had "attacked" judges, sources said Monday.

The directive came during a  meeting of party spokespersons in Islamabad.

The government respects the institutions and will stand by them, the prime minister vowed, as he mentioned that the "mafia had attacked" judges in the past.

"They will not be allowed to use such tactics," he said.

EVMs, issues of overseas Pakistanis

Expressing his resolve to hold the next general elections via electronic voting machines (EVMs), the prime minister directed the party spokespersons to take the nation into confidence over the matter, sources said.

"We will hold the next elections via voting machines [...] the hindrances in the way of overseas Pakistanis' voting should be removed," the prime minister said.

PM Imran Khan directed government officials to resolve the issues pertaining to overseas Pakistanis' National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and passports.

"The government will fulfil its promise made to overseas Pakistanis," he said.

The government had, last week, passed 33 bills in a joint sitting of the Parliament, with the Opposition rejecting the legislation, saying that the treasury benches had bulldozed the bills.

Among the bills passed, the most crucial were amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, allowing the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote in general elections.

On inflation, he said that the nation should be taken into confidence over the matter, as inflation was a global issue.