Abbasi calls for judges’ scrutiny before appointment

–PM says people will suffer if judiciary appoints weak persons as judges

–Says people do not vote for Shehbaz Sharif or Shahid Abbasi, they vote for Nawaz Sharif

–Says Senate election will held on time, no danger to parliament

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday called for the scrutiny of judges prior to their appointments as is the case in the United States.

“People should know who the judges are, they have to decide matters of life and death, matters worth billions of rupees, they have to make historic judgements; if a weak individual is appointed a judge then the repercussions have to be borne,” the prime minister said while speaking to a delegation of parliamentary reporters’ association.

Abbasi said that every institution in the country is trying to carve its space in the state structure, adding that everywhere in the world parliament has oversight on the judiciary.

“In the US, a judge’s entire life is inspected before his appointment,” he said, adding that no one questions dictators but civilian leaders are dragged into courts and are called ‘hijackers’ and ‘Sicilian Mafia’.

Abbasi reaffirmed that Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif would lead the political campaign of the ruling party in the next general elections.

“People do not vote for Shahbaz Sharif or Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. They vote for Nawaz Sharif,” the prime minister said.

Responding to questions about the caretaker setup, Abbasi told reporters that the next caretaker premier would be selected with mutual consensus.

“Previous caretaker prime ministers sold thousands of gas connections and arms licenses, but we will ensure this does not happen again,” Abbasi said, adding that presenting the next budget in parliament was the prerogative of the caretaker government, but his party would prepare and finalise it before leaving office.

“I am the most frightening premier to have held this post because I speak the plain truth,” Abbasi quipped.

SENATE POLLS TO BE ON TIME:

Addressing the uncertain political situation of the country, the PML-N leader sought to quash rumors about the fragility of democracy.

“Senate elections will be held on time. The parliament is in no danger, and those who want to dissolve it should first dare and file a no-confidence motion against me.”

Pressed to comment on aggressive nature of protests against the ruling party, the prime minister said that his party was clean and did not need a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

“Those who have made a deal on the NRO are sitting in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League–Quaid (PML-Q),” he said.

“I laud the brains behind the current wave of protests against the government. Imran Khan and Asif Zardari are sitting under the leadership of Tahirul Qadri. People can decide who is the accursed one,” Abbasi remarked.

Abbasi also talked about the tensions between government institutions, saying that former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf was living comfortably in apartments of London and Dubai, while politicians dragged themselves to NAB courts.

NO THREAT OF US MILITARY ACTION:

The premier further stated that had the country been under democratic rule at the time of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the situation today would have been very different adding that there was no threat of military action from US.

His comments come in the wake of growing tense relations between Pakistan and the United States following Trump’s New Year’s Day tweet in which he accused Pakistan of taking $33 billion in aid and giving only “deceit and lies” in return while harboring Afghan insurgents. Days later, the US had suspended military aid to Pakistan.

Infuriated by Trump’s tweet, Pakistan had accused Washington of making it a scapegoat for its failure to bring peace to Afghanistan.