PTI heaps scorn on coalition for rejecting SC order

ISLAMABAD: Reacting to the ruling alliance’s late Monday night news conference announcing its boycott of the three-member SC bench, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Monday taunted that they were in a state of shock and now there was no place for them to go where they could get respect and love.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI senior leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the ruling coalition announced its boycott of the Supreme Court proceedings only after the court had completed its proceedings in the case.

Qureshi said the nation will also reject the ruling alliance like it had done in the recent local government elections. He said it was strange that when the judges pronounce decisions in their [ruling alliance] favour, they distribute sweets and when the case was otherwise, they refused to accept the decisions.

“Today, the executive has attacked the judiciary. The judiciary has tolerated their insulting behaviour for which I pay them tribute. The nation will reject those who have rejected the court decision,” said Qureshi. He said the ruling coalition had nothing to do with the national agenda or the country’s interests, as they were obsessed with pursuing their own personal agenda.

Qureshi said his party was ready to sit with the government if there was an agenda and the only way out of the present vortex was holding of free and transparent elections. However, he said the government had not contacted them so far. “We can discuss with them how to hold transparent elections and how to restore the credibility of the Election Commission and what reforms are needed. We have no personal enmity with anyone,” he maintained.

Replying to a question, he said the Constitution had defined the role of every institution and none would raise finger if every institution worked within its constitutional ambit, like the executive should do what was its responsibility, the legislature should do legislation while the judiciary’s job was interpretation of the Constitution and dispensation of justice.

But, he insisted, the ruling coalition’s objective was to bury their corruption cases and to ‘neutralise’ the National Accountability Bureau. In the given situation, if the country was pushed towards default, then it would be extremely unfortunate.

PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said the PDM leaders were in a state of shock after not getting a verdict of their choice. Asad pointed out that the very three judges were on the bench whose decision had ended Imran Khan’s government.

“He (Imran Khan) picked up the diary and pen and went to his people because he lives in the hearts of people,” he said, adding that the ruling coalition’s mourning had begun because they knew there was no place for them to go now where they would get respect and love.

PTI lawyer Senator Ali Zafar claimed the ruling coalition had decided to boycott the bench for political gain. He also made it clear that despite their boycott, the Supreme Court verdict would apply to all.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s chief of staff Dr. Shahbaz Gill tweeted, “Ran way, as usual. Don’t behave like small children. From where judges of their choice be brought.”

Former federal minister and senior PTI leader Ali Zaidi called the ruling coalition’s boycott a perfect case of high-treason. “If the entire sitting government is boycotting the Supreme Court, it is completely a high-treason. What else is this?”

Another PTI leader and former federal minister Senator Shibli Faraz alleged that Nawaz Sharif and his family always considered the law and courts subservient to them and today they viewed the Supreme Court in the same way and tried to impose their own will. “But the result is embarrassment and disgrace,” he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday called for placing the names of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on the exit control list (ECL). He alleged they were hell-bent on blackmailing the Supreme Court and bringing it under pressure.

Addressing a news conference here, in response to the one already addressed by the PDM leaders, he alleged that the ‘gang of thieves’ had launched a direct attack on the SC for which the apex court had used the term ‘Sicilian mafia’.

He said the PMLN would now move to the next campaign against some senior army officers after the judiciary to bring both the institutions under pressure, as ‘531 registered accounts on the social media were used in the anti-judiciary campaign’.

Fawad lamented that despite being on bail, the woman (Maryam Nawaz) continued to hold a press conference against the judiciary even at the PM House Auditorium.

Targeting former president Asif Ali Zardari, he said that whole of Sindh was converted into a dam when it rained, while he was on a mission to salvage the Punjab government by spending Sindh’s money in Punjab.

Regarding Zardari’s departure to Dubai, Fawad said Bilawal’s father fled the country knowing that his government was only for a few days, adding that all these crooks could try to escape the country anytime; hence their names should be included in the ECL.

He said that Bilawal had no connection with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto except for his being son of Benazir Bhutto. The PTI leader continued that Bilawal Bhutto should be reminded that Benazir’s life had been a victim of the PMLN’s tyranny and oppression.

About JUIF supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s ‘intimidation and threatening’ tone, Fawad questioned as to how many seats he had in Punjab.

He said all these 11 parties together were defeated by Imran Khan alone, as people have given their decision, they should have resigned if they had any shame.

The PTI leader said lakhs of people were on the streets at 12 in the night, the SC only received the petition at night, as the PTI wanted the court to open and hear the case but they did not hold press conference against the judges.

Fawad said that the way things have been going on for some time, it showed that the establishment was not neutral, adding that Imran Khan has saved Pakistan from becoming Sri Lanka.

Shedding light on the Punjab deputy speaker’s ruling, Fawad said the SC ruling had clearly stated that the parliamentary party would take decisions; hence rejecting the votes given to Pervaiz Elahi was a joke.

He urged the apex court to decide the case of the CM Punjab at the earliest, as the largest province had been running without a chief executive for three months. He said Hamza was still the chief minister on the order of the apex court. He said democracy did not work in such a way as the PTI, being a majority party with 155 seats, was in opposition in Centre and PM was made with 84 votes; hence they just wanted to prolong the case.

He hoped that the chief justice would not give in to the 11 parties’ pressure and would give decision as per the law, as 22 crore people were looking towards the SC.

Fawad demanded that a full court bench should be made on the PMLN media cell, as the decision of the apex court was final and not an option to accept it or not.