Fawad flays SC verdict on Qasim Suri's no-trust motion manoeuvre

LAHORE: PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday declared the Supreme Court’s judgment on former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri's ruling during the no-confidence motion against then-prime minister Imran Khan as "full of errors".

Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgment in the suo motu notice case on the ruling by Suri under Article 5 of the Constitution with regard to voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan on April 3.

That day, before voting could  commence against Khan, Suri, then the deputy speaker, dismissed the vote, describing it as "unconstitutional", and backed by "foreign powers".

The SC's detailed judgment, however, rejected PTI's foreign conspiracy claims and said the courts give verdicts on evidence not speculations.

In a hard-hitting press conference in Lahore today, Chaudhry said his party would get the verdict quashed by the next “representative and elected assembly”.

Chaudhry, while raising questions on the SC verdict in the case, said that the apex court "does not have a stellar record" when it comes to judgments.

“President of Pakistan penned a letter to the SC seeking investigations into the cipher,” he said, alleging that the top court was reluctant to lend an ear to the plea.

“Many people do not want to probe the cypher. Wise people know why the cipher is not being investigated,” he added.

The PTI leader urged the top judge to investigate the diplomatic cable "under which an elected prime minister was removed in Pakistan".

Dubbing the incumbent rulers as "fraudsters", he said that those who are leading Pakistan today are an "insult to the people".

The PTI leader said that the judges should have taken notice when horse-trading was being carried out at the Sindh House.

“Pakistan’s political decisions should be made in political arena,” he added.

Lashing out further at the incumbent government, Fawad said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is "proving to be the most unsuccessful foreign minister" in the history of Pakistan.

He reiterated that new elections were the only solution to the political crisis in the country. "We must decide, do we want a revolution with the power of the vote, or do we want a replay of Sri lanka's events?" he asked.

The PTI leader went on to say that in Pakistan, "the establishment has developed a taste for making political decisions in the country".

"This can no longer occur, that judges and generals make decisions behind closed doors,” he said.

He also expressed his annoyance over the additional note in the ruling, penned by Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel saying “if we begin to pursue cases under article 6, we will find there are more people to hang than there are nooses”.

In his additional note, the justice observed that President Arif Alvi, then PM Imran Khan, then NA speaker Asad Qaiser, ex-deputy speaker, and former law minister Chaudhry had violated their authority.

"Whether the stated acts attract Article 6 of the Constitution (high treason) is also left open to be determined by the Parliamentarians as to whether they leave open the doors for such unconstitutional acts or take suitable measures to stop such like mess in future," he wrote.

He pleaded with the judges to refrain from such harsh remarks.

“What should the punishment be if judges violate the Constitution?" he asked, adding: "What will be the result if Bhutto's case is reopened?”

Fawad said that before writing the verdict, the chief justice "should have had everyone read the cipher”.

The PTI leader said that "if he does not probe the diplomatic cable, the next government will surely investigate it".

Speaking of the upcoming by-polls in Punjab, Fawad said that  his party "will not allow rigging at all costs".

Responding to a question, he said that "it is his right to comment on decisions".

SC verdicts 'exposes Imran Khan's lies'

Reacting to the judgment, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said it has "exposed the lies and propaganda" by Imran Khan and his party leaders.

In a post on Twitter, he termed it "utterly shameful" how the former premier tried to undermine the Constitution and "fabricated the narrative of regime change".

PML-N welcomes judgment

In their press conference, federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar and Qamar Zaman Kaira welcomed the judgment and said that the SC’s ruling will be remembered as “a shining example” in the history of democracy.

Law Minister Tarar said that the top court rejected the NA deputy speaker’s ruling and also declared the president’s dissolution of the assembly illegal.

“The court has proved that it will pass a ruling when the Constitution is violated,” the law minister said, noting that the court’s ruling was the “last nail in the coffin of Khan’s foreign conspiracy claim”.

He said the SC, however, has left it to the discretion of the government and Parliament to pursue the case under Article 6 — which pertains to treason.