Spanner in the works!

In an unexpected decision that has sent ripples across the country, elating some and distressing many others, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to start criminal proceedings against 16 accused people, including incumbent Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, to implement its orders in the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) case.

Besides the ripples and panic that it generated, the decision gave a new zeal to Dr Tahirul Qardi who is encamped with thousands of people at the federal capital’s D-Chowk to see “real change” being ushered in the country.

Upon being told of the SC verdict as he orated his speech on Tuesday noon, Qadri congratulated the crowd thrice and made them chant slogans of long live Pakistan and Supreme Court.

When he finally broke the news, a frenzied crowd burst into jubilation, some even bowed down to the ground in gratitude.

Earlier during the hearing at the SC, the judges warned that the NAB chairman would be personally held responsible if any of the accused fled the country, directing NAB to submit a report about the submission of challans against the accused until January 17.

The orders triggered panic in the Prime Minister’s House where Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had planned to wed his son on January 18.

Immediately after the court order, the prime minister held separate meetings with ministers for law, defence and information and carved out a strategy to deal with the situation.

The Supreme Court’s unexpected order received sharp reaction.

Fawad Chaudhry, adviser to the PM, condemned the court’s order, calling it “unconstitutional”.

Information Minister Qamar Zama Kaira made an effort to defend the prime minister’s position and said the court had ordered to arrest only those accused in the case against whom NAB had investigated and its executive board had approved to file references.

“The prime minister had appeared before NAB investigators and he had cleared his position in the case. Until now, no reference has been approved by the NAB board. Only those accused would be arrested against whom references or challans would be filed,” he added.

The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) also felt the heat, with the KSE-100 index plummeting 500 points to 16,633.18 just before 3pm.

Following the court’s orders, the Punjab Police raided the houses of four former federal secretaries, including Salman Siddique, Ismail Qureshi and Shahid Rafi, but no arrests were made.

On March 30 last year, the court had directed NAB to proceed against those who had served as ministers for water and power from 2006 and as a result, NAB issued arrest warrants for 33 persons on April 20, including the incumbent Prime Minister Ashraf.

PM Ashraf served as the water and power minister from 2008 to 2011.

Ashraf had been given the title of “Raja Rental” after he was accused of receiving kickbacks in the RPPs. He was also accused of buying property in a posh area of London allegedly from the money earned through various scams.

QADRI’S D-CHOWK ADDRESS:

As the judges began the RPPs hearing on Tuesday, Dr Tahirul Qadri arrived at D-Chowk in his bulletproof container to address the long march participants.

Welcoming the SC verdict, Qadri said half of his job had been completed only when he was halfway through his address. “The remaining half of my speech will be delivered tomorrow.”

“This is great news, congratulations to you all, this is the day of victory for you all,” Qadri said.

In his brief speech, Qadri said he and his supporters were there to fulfill the seven-point agenda. He said that the dissolution of all assemblies was the last point on his agenda and they would not leave the capital without the achievements of all objectives.

He dubbed his seven-point agenda of “electoral democracy and electoral reforms” as ‘Islamabad Declaration’ and said that they would not leave until that was accepted.

“Millions of people present here today would continue to sit here until tyranny, injustice, lawlessness and corruption are eliminated from the country,” he said.

He said that the march was “totally peaceful, absolutely democratic, completely constitutional and strictly lawful”.

“We want constitution to be implemented in letter and its spirit. We want reforms in electoral system and change in the system. This is peaceful and constitutional revolution.”

“Neither I nor these people have been overwhelmed by emotions, otherwise we would have captured the corridors of power. Instead, I and the people participating in long march are peaceful, justice-loving, democratic and constitutional in nature,” he said.

“We are not here to capture the parliament or government buildings, don’t feel that threat, we are here for democracy, not for grabbing power,” he said. “Had I directed them (participants), they would have captured parliament within an hour,” he said.

“We don’t want anarchy in the country. We want the rulers with fake mandate to become subordinate to the constitution.”

ARMY AND JUDICIARY:

He said only two national institutions, the army and judiciary, were functioning well in the country and the rest of the system was facing a complete breakdown.

Qadri said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had never been empowered and they were here to empower the commission through electoral reforms.

Qadri said although the judiciary had passed orders, the government had not executed them.

He also mocked the government ministers for accusing him of being patronized by the military establishment. “No one but Allah and my supporters are my patrons,” he said amid roars of slogans by the participants.

Qadri also called upon people across the country to join the sit-in in the federal capital, and at the same time sought a pledge from those present that they would not abandon him until their goals were achieved.