It’s about ensuring sanctity of vote and civil supremacy
That Baqar Najafi report was published in almost every newspaper in the first week of August 2014 and was with every TV channel. How can the government make that report public on its own when the matter is sub judice?
Political activity seems picking up pace in Punjab. PAT, led by political-cum-religious cleric Tahir ul Qadri, addressed the jalsa on 16 August 2017, exactly three days after Nawaz Sharif’s address at Data Darbar.
The former prime minister also shifted to his Raiwind residence where he is presently finalising his future political plan. NAB cases against the Sharif family have been reopened whereas Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers were accepted by Election Commission of Pakistan in NA-120 where she would contest against PTI’s Yasmin Rashid, PPP’s Faisal Mir and MML’s Sheikh Yaqoob.
On the other hand, the idea of ‘Grand National Dialogue’ floated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is strongly rejected by PPP, the largest opposition party in the National Assembly.
So, with whom the PML-N government will hold dialogue now? How would the Sharif family deal with increasing opposition? What measures would PML-N’s government will take for dealing with terrorists? What really constitutes contempt of court? Did Nawaz Sharif commit it?
To get these answers and more this week DNAtalked exclusively with Rana Sanaullah, law minister, Punjab, and close aide and trustworthy companion of Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Question: A high level meeting was held at Sharif’s Raiwind residence where future political strategies was discussed. What will be the future political strategy of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif? As his political opponent TUQ has announced that they would hold dharnas in all the cities after Eid?
Rana Sanaullah: As far as Mian Nawaz Sharif’s program is concerned he shared the basic ideas of his plan with the nation in his addresses throughout the GT Road rally. He committed that he would go the extra mile for ensuring the sanctity of vote and civil supremacy and people’s right to rule or govern would be ensured by all means and for that if we have to bring few changes to constitution or law that would be done. Likewise, he had a sketch of a social welfare state in his mind for which he introduced health cards, education and interest free loans for unemployed youth and other such program which he started but he didn’t get proper time for these because he had to deal with issues like terrorism and load-shedding on priority which took approximately 2.5-3 years and simultaneously he was dealing with Dharna 1, Dharna 2 and lockdown in the country.
Q: When you talk about ensuring the sanctity of vote, what exactly do you mean and how would you ensure that sanctity?
RS: Presently the country is running on writ jurisdiction and doctrine of ‘Secret Powers’; no institution or government is able to work properly according to its mentioned role in constitution and law. So, we need to analyse all these things. The government should have its own role and judiciary must have its role. Likewise all the other institutions have their roles for the benefit of the country.
One institution should not hijack the role and powers of all the other institutions and say that the other institutions are not working and they are dead. So, they have to do all the things. Also, to address these issues we would see where we have to amend the constitution. The sanctity of vote and the people’s right to govern would be ensured by changing few of the clauses of the constitution. This would be that basic concept with which Mian Nawaz Sharif wants to go and get the mandate again in 2018 elections.
Nawaz Sharif would bring these changes and ensure the sanctity of vote and people’s right to govern through vote and not by any Dharna, lockdown or wait for umpires’ fingers. He will continue his fight while remaining within constitutional limits.
Q: Your leadership has strongly criticised the 28 July verdict of the Supreme Court in which Mian Nawaz Sharif was ousted. Yet you say you respect the verdict as well.
RS: Yes, it is our right to criticise the decision; it is a public property. Which judicial decision in the past has not been criticised? When in 1993 Nawaz Sharif’s government was re-instated Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had criticised the decision in strong words.
Q: The law allows criticising judgments in tampered language but the strong words were used against judiciary by Mian Nawaz Sharif. Do you think such words should have been used by the former prime minister? People are saying that contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against Nawaz Sharif?
RS: No, how can you start contempt of court proceedings against Mian Nawaz Sharif? You tell me, is the Supreme Court a murderer? The Supreme Court didn’t give death sentence to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto? Zulfikar Ali Bhutto wasn’t hanged on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Today, who says that he was hanged? Everyone says that it was judicial murder. What do you mean by judicial murder? It means that Supreme Court committed murder. Did Mian Nawaz Sharif use harsher language than this? Nawaz Sharif only said that he was victimised and punished for the crime for which he wasn’t accused and he said that he was dismissed on the grounds which are unjustified in the international community. Even leading lawyers fail to understand on what grounds MNS was dismissed.
Q: PML-N filed review petitions in the Supreme Court against the 28 July verdict. What are your expectations? If you believe that you were victimised what are your hopes from the review petition, where the scope is small?
RS: The scope being small is a separate thing. Our point of view concerns that decision, which we know and feel violated the constitution and law. The judiciary failed to perform its duty which was the requirement of law and constitution. So, we needed a forum to bring these things in black and white and review is the forum.
Now, all the things which Nawaz Sharif was saying in jalsas and campaigns to reach masses would be brought in front of courts and that is our right.
Q: Begum Kulsoom Nawaz will contest elections from NA-120. What would her role be in the party and national assembly? Will she only stay as MNA if elected?
RS: In the past too – in 1997 – when we faced hard times, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz played an active and brave role in keeping the party together. At that time she carried out a very successful door-to-door campaign without any fear which mobilised voters and workers and she took brave and wise decisions.
Whatever role the party gives her, she would perform that role to her best ability; there is no dbout about that. Kulsoom Nawaz would play an active role in the National Assembly. In my opinion, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz would have an effective role in putting forward the program of party in front of the masses for the next elections. But her role would be decided by the party.
Q: Can Begum Kulsoom Nawaz replace Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister if she is elected from NA-120?
RS: The party leadership has the right to take any decision but the decision of party until now and according to my assessment is that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will complete the term as prime minister and Nawaz Sharif also said that on record.
Q: What will you say about a 17-year-old FIR that has surfaced against Kulsoom Nawaz on charges of treason? Because opposition parties would raise questions about it?
RS: They can object to it but no FIR can bar someone from contesting elections otherwise it would be very easy to register an FIR against your opponent and throw him out of elections and politics. Otherwise, it would be same as Iqama or receivable assets kind of a thing regarding which everybody is now talking.
Q: Qari Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a member of Jamat ud Dawa, a banned outfit which emerged with new party name Mili Muslim League, will he be allowed to contest elections from NA-120? What is your opinion as law minister of Punjab?
RS: It is the decision of the court and Election Commission of Pakistan. My opinion about this is very clear that such people should not be allowed to contest elections, such people should not be allowed to give hate speeches; the rule of law must take its course effectively against such individuals. But what happens, happens.
Q: JuD doesn’t have this much power. Do you think Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh would contest independently or is there some conspiracy behind it?
RS: JuD has a lot of ‘secret powers’; you can’t say they don’t have power. However, he doesn’t have a political clout and he would hardly get 500 to 700 votes from NA-120.
Q: What is your opinion about the media reports according to which more than 300 million rupees of the national exchequer have been spent on GT Road rally which was carried out by Nawaz Sharif, and during the rally 12,000 vehicles of government were used and 42,000 government officials were tasked to make this rally successful?
RS: It is absolutely wrong news which is anti-democracy and anti-people and this news has no worth. Not a single penny was released from the national exchequer for this rally. Show me where are those 12,000 vehicles ? People waited for Nawaz Sharif for hours and spent money for banners and hoardings from their own pockets.
Q: Would you please update us about the inquiry into the death of Ahmed Chughtai, the nine year old boy who was allegedly crushed to death by a vehicle of elite force of the Punjab? Will the report be made public?
RS: Yes, that report would be made public and it is found that the vehicle in question did not belong to elite force and it was a private vehicle though it isn’t yet identified who was driving it.
Q: Tahir ul Qadri carried out a huge jalsa in Lahore and again demanded that the Justice Baqar Najafi report of Model Town incident be made public. What benefit will you get from not making the report public?
RS: We will benefit from not making Baqar Najafi report public if it’s not made public as yet. That Baqar Najafi report was published in almost every newspaper in the first week of August 2014 and was with every TV channel. How can the government make that report public on its own when the matter is sub judice? The high court bench is hearing the case; once the court will make the decision it would be made public. They should go to court and say that this report should be made public.
“That Baqar Najafi report was published in almost every newspaper in the first week of August 2014 and was with every TV channel.”
Either Rana Sahib is not being quoted accurately, or he suffers from a case of pathological lieing. In which newspaper archive can I read the report that he says was published in almost every newspaper?
Do moderate Mr Chicken.
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