Most judges think for Pakistan but ‘some black sheep’ help Imran: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the judiciary to prioritise national development over political agendas and criticised perceived biases favouring PTI founder Imran Khan.

Speaking at a PMLN general council meeting that elected Nawaz Sharif PMLN president after six years here on Tuesday, Shehbaz called out the judiciary and said, “You are Pakistanis; you are judges. If development does not return to Pakistan, then there will be no judges, no politicians, and no one else. Do you want this? I believe that most of these judges are Pakistanis and think about Pakistan’s development, but some ‘black sheep’ are helping PTI founder Imran Khan.”

Shehbaz said when Nawaz Sharif was under trial, he would not get bail in his cases, but today, there are discussions about how the PTI founder can be sent out on bail and his cases be dismissed.

Slamming Imran Khan, the prime minister said all “of your conspiracies” would be foiled. He also lamented the PTI founder for “running campaigns” against the family members of army personnel.

Reposing his trust in the newly-elected PMLN president, Shehbaz said he has now returned the responsibility to Nawaz Sharif, which was entrusted to him years ago.

“I believe that if we work day and night under Nawaz Sharif’s guidance, Pakistan will come out of the crisis and become the same Pakistan that Nawaz Sharif had left in 2017,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

He said people who despised the three-time prime minister had him removed from office under a made-up case, first Panama and then Iqama.

“But today, under Nawaz’s leadership, we are working in Punjab and the Federation day and night,” Shehbaz said, claiming that the 2018 elections were forcefully snatched from the PMLN president.

Earlier, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was re-elected president of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) unopposed.

Nawaz Sharif was removed from the party’s presidency six years ago following a court ruling in the Panama Papers case. He was elected unopposed, as no other party leader submitted nomination papers for the position of party president. While addressing the party’s general council, Nawaz said they were not celebrating his re-election as the PMLN president but rather the fact that the decision by former chief justice Saqib Nisar in the Panama Papers case “had been thrown into the waste basket”.

“Saqib Nisar ruled to remove me from the party’s presidency forever. Someone should tell him to come here today and see what has become of his decision,” Nawaz said, adding, “Four to five people had compromised the people’s mandate.” The PMLN supremo said that Pakistan would have progressed if his government had not been repeatedly toppled. He claimed that Pakistan would have held a unique position and power in Asia if the progress under his government had not been halted.

Lamenting the practice of leg-pulling, Nawaz said this had been ongoing since 1977 and had weakened the country. “We should accept that we have shot ourselves in the foot. Believe me, we have never gone to anyone with a begging bowl,” he maintained.

The three-time former prime minister reiterated that he would have never complained if he had been ousted from the prime minister’s post for corruption. He said he still does not know why his government ended and he was removed from the seat of prime minister. He congratulated his party leaders and workers for standing firm during difficult times.

Appreciating Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PMLN’s newly elected president said his brother had always stood by him despite many attempts to create rifts between them, including offers of the prime minister’s post to Shehbaz in exchange for disloyalty. He also congratulated his daughter, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for keeping the party active.

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder, Nawaz Sharif said he was the “third force” of General Zaheerul Islam behind his ouster. He claimed that Imran Khan had “helped” in toppling the PMLN regime in 2017 and “derailing democracy”. He dared Imran Khan to deny this, or he (Nawaz) would quit politics.

Earlier, while addressing the general council, PMLN Punjab chapter President Rana Sanaullah said it was necessary to return the party presidency to Nawaz Sharif as all the cases lodged against him had been quashed.

The general council also adopted a resolution demanding all the conspirators be brought to justice.

Later, celebrations were held in different cities of Pakistan where local PMLN leaders and workers gathered, chanted slogans in favour of Nawaz and distributed sweets.