Ruling alliance sees red over Imran’s ‘release’

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leaders sharply reacted to the Supreme Court order declaring Imran Khan’s arrest illegal, and severely criticised the apex court chief for allegedly benefiting only one individual in any way.

A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar — issued the verdict on PTI’s petition challenging Khan’s arrest. Reacting to the SC order, PMLN Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz criticised Chief Justice Bandial, asking him to step down from the post and join the opposition party, PTI. “The chief justice was very happy today to meet the criminal who plundered Rs60 billion from the national exchequer and he [CJP] was even more happy to release this criminal,” the PMLN leader said while referring to the CJP’s remarks during the hearing.

The key member of the ruling alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a group of 13 political parties — further held the top judge responsible for the attacks on state installations during the violent protests following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday.

“...[the CJP] is acting as a shield of a fitna [rabble-rouser Imran Khan] and is adding fuel to the fire in the country. You should leave the post of chief justice and join the Tehreek-e-Insaf like your mother-in-law,” she added. Separately, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the SC order about the release of Imran Khan. The two leaders expressed their concerns over the court decision to declare Imran Khan’s arrest as illegal.

The Maulana reportedly informed the prime minister about his serious concerns regarding the decision and shared possible protest strategies with him. The meeting also saw coalition parties of the government consider a unanimous protest against the Supreme Court’s decision. Additionally, the PM contacted the heads of other coalition parties to discuss the political situation in the country.

Commenting on the release of PTI chief, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif questioned as to why there were double standards, and whether the selective justice was meant only to benefit an individual. Addressing a news conference, he said the apex court released Imran Khan within two days and he was shifted to a rest house with directions to provide all the facilities while, on the other hand, bail appeals of top PMLN and PPP leaders in the past were not heard for six months.

The minister said he was expecting orders from the SC but instead the court expressed its desire, rather a request was made to Imran Khan. “Courts are expected to give orders and not express desires,” he said.

Kh Asif recalled that he was made to lie on the floor of a jail cell with two blankets, but he made no complaints while same treatment was also meted out to other PMLN leaders, but then no notice was taken. He also questioned as to why no suo motu action was taken when a violent mob, on directions of their leaders, was attacking and burning installations and assets like corps commander’s residence and Radio Pakistan and defacing monuments of martyrs of armed forces. “In the past, it was Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which attacked the GHQ, and now the PTI attacked it,” he said.

“I do not know where the residence of corps commander Lahore is located, but the PTI leaders including Yasmin Rashid was aware of that and the workers were directed to reach there,” he added. Kh Asif said miscreant workers looted properties, including corps commander’s residence, private properties and shops and they did not spare even packed yogurt.

Sarcastically speaking, the defence minister also congratulated Imran Khan on recovering from leg injury within two days. “His gesture and the way he walked up to the courtroom in Supreme Court showed that there was nothing wrong with his leg,” he said, questioning as to how long the nation would be fooled. Earlier, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday in principle, his party was neither happy with the arrest of any politician nor in favour of banning any political party, but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf needed to decide if it wanted to operate as a political party or a terrorist organisation.

Addressing a press conference at the Bilawal House, he said they were in favour of holding general elections on time and hoped to find a political solution to the current situation in the country. He also announced that the historic victory of PPP in the local government elections in Sindh would be celebrated on Saturday (tomorrow) in Karachi.

The PPP chief said that the past two days were dark days in the history of Pakistan, pointing out that such attacks were carried out by the PTI’s supporters that had no precedent in the country’s history. “As far as I remember, one attack on the GHQ was carried out by the outlawed TTP, and now by the PTI. The outlawed BLA had also attacked Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s House in Balochistan, and now the second attack has been perpetrated by the PTI on the Jinnah House in Lahore.” The PPP chairman said they did not celebrate anyone’s arrest or distribute sweets because when a politician is arrested, the entire political process is affected.

He said that the allegations of corruption against PTI Chairman Imran Khan are serious, as the 190 million pounds (involved in the case) was Pakistan’s money and of the people of Sindh that should have been returned to them.

However, he added, Khan ensured forced approval from the cabinet for the Al-Qadir Trust, deceiving his cabinet in the matter of transferring the money from Britain. He challenged all the members of the then cabinet of the PTI to refute these allegations.

The PPP chief said that his party’s stand from the beginning was that NAB should be disbanded, but the PTI had always defended NAB. He pointed out that the abolition of NAB was also a part of the Charter of Democracy. He said the PPP had always opposed NAB, but the PTI had been supporting NAB. “NAB reforms were the demand of all of us, but Imran Khan opposed the NAB reforms and accused us of NRO. Now Imran Khan is the first politician to benefit from the NAB amendments introduced by the PPP.” Separately, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday a culprit would be arrested from the court premises when courts would provide shelter to criminals, terrorists and armed groups.

Shortly before the SC order for the production of Chairman Imran Khan, the minister during a news conference here said a criminal of the country, who stole Rs60 billion from the national exchequer, was an accused, according to the orders of the Islamabad High Court. She said the National Accountability Bureau had arrested him legally, after which the accountability court also declared it legal.

She pointed out that for the first time in history, the apex court’s impression of giving relief to a criminal, a terrorist, a gangster of armed groups within 48 hours on physical remand showed backing of a terrorist. The minister noted he (Imran) was the first NAB accused of physical remand whose appeal was fixed for hearing within 48 hours.

Marriyum said if courts, justice and the law of the land support and encourage terrorists and armed groups, who had burnt the country, then all people would deserve that relief.

“Tell me, those who pick up guns for the sake of the state, those who pick up guns to protect the borders and the people, those who are martyred, those who become Ghazis, who will give justice to their indignity when their memorials are burnt,” she wondered.

In a brief statement on Twitter, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, while referring to the crackdown on opposition leaders during the last PTI tenure, said: “I wish this Supreme Court was there even during 2018-22!”

“It is highly condemnable to make someone, who has damaged state buildings in the country and caused loss of billions of rupees, as a guest of the Supreme Court,” wrote PMLN leader Hina Parvez Butt on Twitter.