- Is there more to it than meets the eye?
The firing at the residence of a SC judge supervising an accountability court proceedings against Nawaz Sharif and his family members is a serious incident. The attack has been strongly condemned by the PM, Punjab CM, PML-N leadership, opposition parties, the legal fraternity and the ISPR. A JIT comprising high ranking police officers and representatives of ISI, MI and IB has been formed to investigate the attack in order to identify the culprits and award them the punishment that they deserve. While the JIT investigation will take time, the PML-N has already been declared the real culprit by the PTI, its arch rival in Punjab.
The PML-N’s past record vis-a-vis Supreme Court judges who were considered antagonistic by the party leadership is a part of history now and will continue haunt it for a long time to come. Instead of improving the party’s record by showing restraint this time, some of the hot-headed PML-N leaders indulged in irresponsible outbursts against the judiciary. One of them has already been sentenced for contempt of court while cases are being pursued against others. If the leaders can lose control over themselves, some of the workers too could follow suit. This aspect of the matter needs to be thoroughly probed.
Equally important is to investigate the baffling and enigmatic circumstances surrounding the attack. The judge’s house is a short distance from the Sharif brothers’ house in Model Town. It is a high-security area guarded by a heavy contingent of police, the Dolphin Squad, the Police Quick Response Unit, Model Town’s own security personnel and, to top it all, the Punjab Rangers. Punjab Safe City Authority CCTV cameras are also installed in the area. There is a Ranger’s post in front of the gate of the Judge’s house where a bullet has left its mark. The culprits conducted two attacks within hours and mysteriously disappeared in thin air. Coming as the firing does in the midst of rising political temperature and a tussle between the administration and the institutions, the plot thickens with the incident.