The Supreme Court’s (SC) judgement into the Rental Power Plants case ordering arrest of Premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has exposed the real face of the establishment’s organs, including the judges, said former Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Asma Jahangir on Tuesday.
She was addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club. Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) President Mustafa Lakhani and Karachi Bar Association General Secretary Naeem Qureshi were also present.
“The long march, headed by Dr Tahirul Qadri, and the timings of the judgement of the SC regarding arrest of the sitting prime minister are a conspiracy to derail the democracy. It is a pre-planned conspiracy and the boots [army] are coming,” she said. “The ‘black snakes’ of the judiciary have today bitten democracy and the rule of law. The legal fraternity and the public, political parties should play their pivotal role for democracy,” she said, adding that the practice Dr Qadri was introducing would affect the country’s institutions.
She said that if 50,000 people gathered in the capital and forced the government to bring changes as per their wishes, then the political parties could also do whatever they wished by gathering thousands of people. Asma said there would be no democracy in the country without the political parties and these parties should accept their mistakes and improve themselves. The former SCBA president said these forces should play a positive role to save democracy and the people with black coats leading them.
“We don’t have any objection on removing multiple premiers. However, my question to the chief justice is what are the reasons for taking such a hard decision in a haphazard manner, either the premier was fleeing from the country or else. It is just a political conspiracy by the establishment,” she said.
“Dr Tahirul Qadri used to ride a motorcycle in 80s. He must tell the nation from what sources he has earned millions of rupees. If there were no lawyers in the movement for democracy and the restoration of judges, many people must have signed an agreement with the establishment. The judges who were restored with the struggle of the lawyers have been unmasked through such decisions,” she said.
Sindh High Court Bar Association President Mustafa Lakhani said that the lawyers had already rejected the long march aimed at derailing democracy and the marchers were the enemies of democracy.
“The premier’s arrest order is a pre-planned and well-organised conspiracy against the elected government and we will protect the democracy. The order was issued without sensing or observing the critical situation the country is passing through,” he added. “We are waiting for the detailed decision of the judgement after which the bar, under the aegis of the SCBA, would chalk out future course of action by tomorrow,” Lakhani said. Karachi Bar Association General-Secretary Naeem Qureshi said, “We will once again launch a massive movement to save the democracy. And, no one can change the constitution and parliament by bringing 50,000 people in the federal capital,” he said.
Meanwhile talking to a private TV channel, senior lawyer and PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that with the arrest of the PM the premiership does not end and even if Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is arrested he would continue to remain the PM.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said that the only constitutional way to remove the PM is to table a no-confidence motion. He said that the court does not declare anyone a criminal until charges are proven against him, similarly until Raja is proven guilty he would continue to remain PM even in jail.
The boots are coming!
