Fawad says judges should not comment on every subject

ISLAMABAD: PTI Senior Vice President and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry Monday said Imran Khan’s speech with regard to the appointment of new army chief and patriotism was not a judicial matter and it was inappropriate for the judiciary to comment on every subject.

Fawad’s remarks came after Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Justice Athar Minallah censured Imran Khan for his ‘anti-military’ statement. Addressing a press conference here, Fawad clarified that Imran had talked about the merit-based appointment of the new army chief. “This is a political matter, not a judicial one. It is inappropriate for judges to comment on every subject,” he said. Fawad said Imran had asked if the authority was in the hands of corrupt and rejected persons to make key appointments in the country’s interests. He referred to Dawnleaks and Memogate as examples of how Nawaz Sharif and Zardari thought about the army. Nawaz’s views about the army are not hidden from anyone,” he said.

As regards his party, Fawad said both the army and PTI had a similarity of views. He said Imran’s point was quite simple and straight — he wanted to save Pakistan from this elite, and if he was eliminated politically, then they and their children will rule Pakistan for the next 50 years.

“The imported government is bent upon filing high-treason cases against Shahbaz Gill and Imran Khan and while there is a push to make blasphemy cases against PTI,” he said. “The imported rulers can’t disqualify Imran. If they do so, then they can’t go out of Islamabad; we are giving concessions to the imported government.

Fawad said all the generals had strong bonds with the soil and they could not follow the PDM agenda and nobody had any doubt about their patriotism. Fawad claimed that a news is circulating that claimed that Shehbaz Sharif would get the approval of the new army chief from Nawaz Sharif in London. “What else can be more insulting to Pakistan Army that an absconder, would give approval of next army chief,” he said. “We understand that the army should not be made part of the political arena, as it is a sacred institution for us. A person like Khawaja Asif, who used to draw a salary from Dubai company, will now send the summary forward. It is very unfortunate for Pakistan,” he said. Later, reacting to the DG ISPR’s statement, he tweeted, “Wouldn’t have needed to give a statement to ISPR after listening to my press conference. Listen to the rest of Imran Khan’s interview with Kamran Khan tonight”.

Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said Imran Khan’s statement about the appointment of the army chief had already been clarified, as there was never an intent to cause harm to the reputation of the institution or its senior leadership. In a tweet, he said the PTI and Imran Khan always fully appreciated the professionalism and sacrifices of the army.

PTI SVP Shireen Mazari also came up in the defence of her party chairman and tweeted, “Sadly, the press statement is of concern because it seems to have misunderstood what IK said despite clarifications; and at a time when PDM is deliberately distorting IK’s statement to target him. At no point in Faisalabad speech, did IK criticize the army or its leadership”.

She also said that with utmost respect, after explaining with great clarity through leadership’s tweets and presser that IK reference viz COAS issue was solely in reference to corrupt PML-N and PPP leadership’s history of playing politics with the military, from Memogate to Dawnleaks, the ISPR PR was so unnecessary.