SC judgment ‘ambiguous, open to discussion’: Sharjeel

Sindh Senior Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, has said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) respects court decisions though it has had to accept even those rulings of the judiciary which have harmed it.

The Supreme Court judgment in the case related to the PTI’s reserved seats in assemblies is ambiguous, he said while speaking at a press conference on Friday.

Memon said it is the federal government’s discretion whether to appeal this decision or not, but the decision seems to exhibit favouritism. Under this decision, orders of constitutional bodies like the Election Commission of Pakistan have been bulldozed, he remarked.

The senior minister said it is no secret that every act and decision of former chief justice Saqib Nisar facilitated Imran Khan. Before the 2018 elections, Imran Khan, “despite being a liar”, was declared Sadiq and Amin. During the 2018 elections, the RTS system failed, and PTI won the polls through rigging, he alleged.

When the results were challenged, he said, Justice Saqib Nisar ordered that such cases should not be heard for the time being and that the government should be allowed to work.

In one instance when a person was tortured in the middle of the road, Justice Saqib Nisar instructed the torturer to deposit money into the dam fund and let him get off scot-free.

Memon said that when an operation against encroachments was going on across the country and people’s houses were being demolished, Justice Saqib Nisar declared Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence legal. For the 2018 elections, Justice “Saqib Nisar and company” fully facilitated Imran Khan, he alleged.

The minster said Imran Khan, who was involved in incidents like May 9, was brought to court in a Mercedes and was greeted with a “good to see you” remark.

He said a person who had hidden his child was disqualified by the court, and when a case was filed against the PTI founder for hiding his child, it was dismissed as a family matter.

Memon said history shows that there have been two laws in this country, and favouritism has persisted, with the PPP suffering the most. The PPP has been a major victim, he said, adding that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the constitution and nuclear technology to the country but he failed to get justice in his case.

Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, a leader of the marginalised people, was unjustly removed from power twice, and she also did not receive justice when she appealed to the Supreme Court, he said.

Memon said it is evident from the present day’s decision that the PTI didn’t move the court for justice but even then it has been unduly favoured, whereas the Sunni Ittehad Council had in fact approached the court.

The Pakistan Peoples Party does not advocate banning any party, but the court decisions should adhere to the constitution and the law. Otherwise, he warned, the principle of “might is right” might prevail.

The provincial minister said Imran Khan accused the US of overthrowing the government, and later he hired lobbyists in the US. “Why would the leader of a Pakistani party need to hire a lobbyist in another country? If hiring lobbyists were permitted under Pakistan’s laws, then everyone would have hired their lobbyists. Israel has never spoken about human rights violations in Kashmir.

However, after Imran Khan’s arrest, Israel accused Pakistan of human rights violations. It is surprising that while the world is well aware of Israel’s human rights violations, today Israel talks about human rights violations in Pakistan following Imran Khan’s arrest.”

He said that the decision of the Supreme Court “is highly ambiguous and open to discussion by legal experts”.

If the decision had been against the PTI, there would have been a strong backlash against the respected judges on social media, he remarked and stressed that we advocate for decisions to be based solely on merit, according to what is written in the law and constitution. Merit should not be influenced by personal preferences or dislikes, and we seek adherence to the constitution and law without any favouritism or special treatment, he added.

Memon further said that he PTI founder’s behaviour was dictatorial, and whatever role he played was undemocratic, unconstitutional, and immoral.

Imran Khan used to threaten his workers that the children of those who left his party would not be able to get married, he said.

In response to a question, the senior minister stated that after a detailed judgment is released by the Supreme Court in this case, legal experts would formulate a plan for the future. The PPP has consistently expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with democratic parties,

he said.