- Deposed PM asks Chief Justice Nisar to clear backlog of 1.8m cases before venturing on suo moto spree
- Says JIT head’s testimony washed away all allegations against Sharif family
ISLAMABAD: Just a day after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi assured Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar of the government’s support to help him carry out his public service initiatives, ousted premier Nawaz Sharif said that excessive suo motos harm the executive and urged the CJP to refrain from the practice.
Speaking to journalists outside the accountability court on Wednesday, Nawaz said that such notices place the job of the government into the hands of the chief justice.
He, however, refused to comment on Tuesday night’s meeting, with a smile, saying: “What can I say about it.”
Last night, the prime minister held a two-hour-long one-on-one meeting with Chief Justice Nisar at the latter’s chambers in the Supreme Court during which he assured the top judge of the government’s full support for his judicial reforms vision while the CJP promised to uphold the law without “fear or favour”.
Talking about CJP Nisar, Nawaz said that the chief justice is visiting different hospitals and medical colleges repeatedly since last few months.
“I think we are the target of these visits as well. We run a charitable organisation, Sharif Medical College, which is the best medical college and runs on welfare, it cannot be used to target us,” he said, adding that through suo moto notices, the chief justice has taken the matters into his own hands even though these fall in the executive’s domain.
“I am not saying that suo moto notices should not be taken, please take it, but also do something about 1.8 million cases pending in courts as thousands of people are waiting for justice,” the former premier said.
“You should not interfere with what is not your work,” he quipped.
Commenting on the joint investigation team (JIT) head Wajid Zia’s testimony against him, the ousted premier played down the evidence, saying, “Zia was supposed to be the star witness against the Sharif family but had scrubbed off all allegations against them.”
Rejecting the rumours of him intending to flee the country and the cabinet’s refusal to put his name on the no-fly list, Nawaz said if he had wanted to run away he would never have returned.
“We are not the ones to run away,” he stressed.
Nawaz again hinted at the conspiracies being hatched against him, saying: “Many forces are part of this fraud; however, this drama won’t last long.”
“We cannot be punished in this case,” Nawaz stated, adding that if his political enemies want to punish him then they should forge cases against him for corruption in rental power plants, Hajj scandal or EOBI where billions of rupees were looted.
Speaking about his wife and her illness, he said that despite her illness, he is appearing before the court. “Because I respect the court and law,” he added.
Not much surprised by the testimony of the Panamagate JIT’s head, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and daughter of Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said, “It is easy for a Whatsapp-influenced JIT to prepare an agenda-based report from a room but [it is] difficult to prove such tactics in the court of law.”
Taking to twitter, the former first daughter said she was confident of Zia’s testimony in her family’s favour as lies have a short lifespan.
“I had said earlier on to the opponents to wait for a few days and Zia, himself, would testify in our favour,” she tweeted.
It is really a public rebuke of the CJP. There is hardly a day when he is not under the cosher. The ex PM keeps us reminding he is still around.
People will defiantly support NS if they see Justice not done. Up till now there is no strong evidence against NS and initial disqualification decision even IK consider it given not on strong grounds.
It is not ” meddling” Mr. Your dark past demands this. You forget or try to ignore the criminal trial you and your family are facing. Then entire country knows about the most despicable culture you and your brother created which included fake encounters and money laundering. Have fear of the hereafter.
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