There have been reports in the newspapers about sessions of the National Assembly and the Senate in Islamabad had to be adjourned since the opposition members had created rumpus in both houses of the parliament raising slogans against the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) as directed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its Thursday verdict in the Panama Papers case making the smooth proceedings impossible are quite disgusting and disappointing, to say the least.
Formation of the JIT is part of the verdict which the opposition leaders had pledged to respect and it will investigate and find answers to more than a dozen questions raised in the apex court verdict. As per the verdict, the JIT is to be constituted within seven days and to submit its findings in 60 days. It is pertinent to mention here that all five apex court judges had agreed on the formation of JIT to further probe allegations against the prime minister and his family.
The Supreme Court has not wasted any time and has already sent copies of its verdict to heads of six departments seeking nominations of their officers’ names for the JIT whose work will be duly supervised by the learned judges of the Supreme Court.
So this letter is to ask Imran Khan and other opposition leaders to show due respect to the apex court verdict in totality including orders for formation of the JIT and do not act in such a hostile manner sp as to commit contempt of the apex court orders for JIT formation by rejecting its formation. As opposition leaders, they have the democratic right of criticising the prime minister but this should be done within norms of decency and protocol for the elected prime minister and more importantly showing due respect to the apex court verdict.
MUHAMMAD MURTAZA ZISHAN
LAHORE
