-Law Minister presents Motion for Judicial Reforms
-Criticizing Judiciary, PM says without justice country cannot move forward
-Accuses Judiciary of having ‘double standards’ for different parties
-FM sees Parliament will decide how many Judges included in a Bench
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a unanimous resolution about the judicial reforms after the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) struck down the ruling of Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari.
The session of the National Assembly was chaired by NA speaker Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, where Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari suggested Raja Pervaiz form a joint parliamentary committee.
During the session, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar presented a motion in the House on the issue of setting up a parliamentary committee for judicial reforms. The House unanimously accepted the resolution on judicial reforms that the Federal Minister of Law had proposed.
Addressing at NA, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused the judiciary of having “double standards” with their treatment of different political parties.
The Prime Minister’s criticism of the Judiciary came a day after the Supreme Court struck down Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari’s ruling and removed his son and fellow PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz as the province’s chief minister.
Addressing a session of the National Assembly (NA), Shehbaz said that while he respected the courts, he was also an elected representative and questioned “when the truth would be spoken, if not today.”
“I ask that there was a time when a former chief justice took suo moto [notices] day and night … when the courts summon then I think we should go with great respect but if you have to decide then it should be on the basis of truth and justice. It can’t happen that you treat me one way and treat someone else differently.”
He reiterated that he greatly respected the judiciary and was only talking about “double standards”, adding that it was his right to do so as an elected representative of the people.
The prime minister said that during the previous PTI government’s tenure “no one took notice” of various scandals such wheat and sugar crisis, the violation of its agreement with the International Monetary Fund as well as irregularities in the Peshawar BRT project.
“Who planned to attack this parliament in 2014, who hung dirty clothes on the building of the Supreme Court, who asked the public to set fire to electricity bills … no one took notice, everyone was quiet.” PM Shehbaz posited the question that how long could such “double standards continue”.
He noted that the apex court had deemed the actions of former NA speaker Qasim Suri in March as a violation of the Constitution.
Further pressing his point, he said that the actions of former NA speaker Qasim Suri in March in dissolving the National Assembly and said the apex court had held him to have violated the Constitution.
“[That was a] very good thing but no one summoned him. But the Punjab Assembly [deputy] speaker does an act and he was called to the court,” Shehbaz said, referring to recent proceedings in the Supreme Court over the deputy speaker’s ruling and conduct during Friday’s Punjab chief minister election.
PM Shehbaz said the Constitution outlined the role and jurisdiction of the courts and other institutions, within which they were supposed to work. He lamented that in the 75 years that had passed, the Constitution was tampered with and martial law established, causing Pakistan to break in two and impeding democratic growth.
The prime minister lambasted the PTI government for its economic performance during its 3.5 years, adding that the coalition government had resolved to come in power to save the country from defaulting.
“Did we come [in power] through a backdoor? This is the first time someone didn’t attack the Prime Minister House but [the change occurred] through the power of vote, in accordance with the law. They changed that worst government and accepted the challenge [to rule].”
The Prime Minister also addressed the country-wide devastation caused by monsoon rains and said the coalition government was well aware of it, adding that he himself had held meetings with the provinces on the matter.
He said provincial governments were working day and night for relief operations and the centre was also playing its role.
PM Shehbaz said he had called another meeting and that the government would increase the relief package announced for the people. “Wherever there are losses, we will spare no opportunity to make up for them.”
Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while launching a tirade against judiciary without mentioning Imran Khan’s name said that it is not possible to have one constitution for us and another for the apple of the eye.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday, he said that our job is to legislate and judiciary’s job is to interpret and parliament will decide how many judges should sit on the bench. “A joint parliamentary committee should be formed in which we will legislate,” he said.
The foreign minister said that the role of establishment and judiciary shouldn’t be controversial, adding that all political parties had the same demand. “We were not trying to put pressure on any institution,” he said and added we only requested that the full court should sit and give a verdict.
“We said that we would accept whatever decision the full court would announce and this demand was not only on the issue of Chief Minister Punjab but it was our demand for the full court regarding the Deputy Speaker s ruling.”
