-
Interior minister says court verdicts seemingly have dual standards
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Affairs Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said that the Faizabad sit-in of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan was a nightmare, from which, the country safely emerged without bearing any losses.
Referring to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent briefing to the Senate on national security, he said that it was a ‘good omen.’ In a written answer to the Senate, he said that harmony in civil and military relations was necessary for the country’s growth and prosperity.
“Harmony between civil and military relations is as important for the country’s prosperity and stability as oxygen for the human body,” he said. “We are striving to ensure peace and stability in the country through the cooperation of civil and military leadership,” he said.
Ahsan said that the menace of terrorism was yet to be completely eliminated from the country. Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he said that it was unfortunate that justice seemed like a far-off dream ever since PTI entered politics.
“It is sad that the country’s constitutional and legal experts believe that verdicts [on court cases] in the country seemingly have dual standards,” the interior minister said, in an apparent reference to the recent verdict of the disqualification reference against PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who was given a clean chit by the apex court.
On Friday’s judgment, the Supreme Court had said that Jehangeer Tareen, a former PTI secretary-general, had pleaded guilty to insider trading and ruled that he cannot be termed honest and stands disqualified for life as per the Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution. It had also said the PTI leader used suspicious terms in his statements to the court, besides not declaring his offshore company.
