PM Shehbaz criticises PTI, judiciary in NA session after SC ruling setback

ISLAMABAD: After the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) declared PTI-backed candidate Pervez Elahi as the new chief minister of Punjab and removed PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz from the post, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in an address to the National Assembly Wednesday called out the judiciary for their double standards discriminatory toward the coalition government.

His comments were also in response to the SC’s court’s decision to reject the coalition government’s petition seeking formation of a full court to hear the case.

The PM expressed concerns about the lack equality in the provision of justice.

“I respect the judiciary but one has to speak the truth on the floor of the National Assembly. The judiciary cannot treat me differently from someone else,” he said.

He also spoke about the PTI’s foreign funding case stating that even after eight years, the case has been left unannounced.

“Did anyone take suo motu notice of that case over the last eight years?" PM Shehbaz questioned.

The PM also stated that the “PTI government provided sugar subsidies worth billions of rupees during its term and made the worst decisions during its tenure, struck deals with IMF and then ruined them, and brought Pakistan to the verge of default. But did anyone take notice of all this?”

PM Shehbaz further added that the NAB shut down Moonis Elahi's and the Malam Jabba case and that there was embezzlement in the BRT Peshawar Project. “No one took notice of that,” he said.

He also remarked about the favouritism being meted out to PTI chief Imran Khan calling him a ‘blue-eyed boy’ and how other Pakistani politicians have never received such support in the last 75 years.

He said that the court should make a decision keeping truth and justice in consideration.

PM Shehbaz also reiterated that Pakistan cannot progress without justice. “The times are tough but we will make Pakistan great by fighting this fascism,” he said.

“No matter what happens, I will be the same servant of Pakistan, the same Shehbaz Sharif,” he said, adding that he will keep trying as long as the party, coalition leaders and the House bestows confidence in him.

‘We have decided to save the state instead of political point-scoring’

The premier earlier said that the coalition parties mutually decided to save the state instead of political point-scoring.

“All parties in the coalition government selected me. I knew that the Prime Minister's Office is not a bed of roses but that of thorns,” he said, adding that he had several opportunities to become the PM in the past but he chose to serve Punjab.

“I was offered to become PM by a president in 1992. Musharraf also offered me the same position. When Nawaz Sharif offered to make me the PM, I chose to serve Punjab. I rejected illegal offers in the past. I will not divulge the secrets in my heart,” he stated in his address.

Speaking about the Constitution, PM Shehbaz said that it was drafted under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's leadership and presented Pakistan as a strong and dynamic country at a global level.

He added that the Constitution will guide and strengthen Pakistan, despite the attempts of people trying to meddle with it.

During the address, he also criticised the results of the 2018 General Elections and how it was the worst in the country’s history.

“Those polls imposed a government through the process of rigging," he said.

He added that the Results Transmission System (RTS) malfunctioned and counting of votes was halted by the order of the former chief justice.

PM Shehbaz also reprimanded the PTI-led government and criticised their policies of taking hefty loans in merely three-and-a-half years. He added that millions of people were left jobless and homeless during the Imran Khan-led government's term.

During his speech at the NA, the premier also spoke about the country's economic deterioration, challenges faced by the government in rectifying the state of the economy, and the damage caused by the recent monsoon rains across Pakistan.