ISLAMABAD: Mixed reactions were witnessed from the politicians after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the sentence of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar on Wednesday.
Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that his government had complete trust in the judiciary and hoped that the law will take its due course.
The official statement by the PTI spokesman said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an independent institution and carries out its own activities, adding that the government has no role in it.
“The government and public want action against those involved in corruption. The nation wants that its looted money be brought back and the government should ensure that the objective is achieved,” said Chaudhry.
‘THEY ARE STILL GUILTY’:
The info minister further said that the nation has no doubts over the role of the Sharif family, adding that the Sharifs failed to prove that from where they made a fortune worth billions of rupees.
Another PTI leader, Senator Faisal Javed said that the IHC has suspended the sentence, not punished it. “They are guilty, and their conviction charges are still intact,” he insisted.
‘RULE OF LAW ESSENTIAL’:
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the courts should not be seen as part of any political victimisation. “Rule of law and independence of judiciary are essential for any democratic system to thrive,” he added.
He said: “The decision comes as a relief for the Sharif family. After Kulsoom Nawaz’s untimely death, the Sharif family was going through testing times.”
Bilawal commented that the PPP and Benazir Bhutto fought for the independence of judiciary and were an integral part of this important movement.
PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that everyone should accept the verdict by IHC and respect the state institutions.
“When the Avenfield verdict first came out, it was already expected that if there is an appeal in the case, the Sharif family might be set free. This is not unexpected as Nawaz Sharif has always been given relief in the past, same is the case today. We will know more once the detailed verdict comes out,” he commented.
PPP Central Information Secretary Nafisa Shah said the order has once again raised questions on accountability in Pakistan.
She said, “Not sure whether today’s court order on suspending Panama punishment is about law or politics, but the system has always bailed the Sharifs out. Of course this order once again raises many questions on accountability laws and processes in Pakistan.”
‘NAWAZ CAN BE CONGRATULATED’:
Reacting to the order, PPP stalwart Aitzaz Ahsan said that Nawaz Sharif is lucky and can be congratulated at this relief. The staunch critic of the PML-N leadership stated that the impression that judges were under some pressure is entirely false as judges conduct their duty with honesty.
He criticised the NAB’s prosecution for what he termed ‘incompetence’ in pleading the case against the court. Ahsan asked everyone to wait for the detailed verdict.
