“They are all the same. People had taken to the streets for the restoration of this judiciary,” said Rahim, a rickshaw driver, on being asked about what he thought about the Supreme Court’s verdict against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. “The SC could not come up to the expectations of the people,” he added.
Majority of Karachi’s residents, who were glued to their television sets for long hours on Thursday, waiting for the outcome of the contempt-of-court proceedings against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the Supreme Court, expressed disappointment on the apex court’s verdict, saying that they had been let down.
The rickshaw driver said: “Instead of giving attention to the worsening law and order situation, frequent price-hike, unemployment and load shedding, the apex court is wasting its precious time on political cases.”
He also said that the court had failed to provide relief to the people, adding that in the suo motu case regarding Karachi violence, the bench had failed to declare a valid judgment.
“I don’t think it was the right decision,” said Yasir Ahmad, a university student. “If the bench found the prime minister guilty in the contempt-of- court case, then it should have announced a better sentence.”
Ahmad Ali, a student of grade 12, said that instead of meting out a symbolic sentence of a few seconds’ detention in the courtroom, the bench should have sent the premier to jail since he was found guilty.
However, another citizen, Sobia, said that it was a good verdict. She said that the decision reflected that an independent judiciary is operating in the country.
There are chances that the judgment might cause a rift between the government and the judiciary, said Ashraf who works at a private firm.
He said that the Pakistan People’s Party’s members are not prepared to accept the verdict and have started protesting the court’s decision.
