مضمون کا ماخذ : لاٹری ٹکٹ کے فوائد
Judiciary following double standards
The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday criticised the higher judiciary, and called out what he said were its “double standards” when dealing with legal matters of PTI chief Imran Khan. Addressing a seminar at the Sindh Assembly in Karachi, the foreign minister said the public was looking towards the parliament and judiciary but […]
The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday criticised the higher judiciary, and called out what he said were its “double standards” when dealing with legal matters of PTI chief Imran Khan.
Addressing a seminar at the Sindh Assembly in Karachi, the foreign minister said the public was looking towards the parliament and judiciary but “they can’t see any hope”. “I have to, unfortunately, say that it is very difficult for political parties to defend the double standards and actions with which the higher judiciary is proceeding.”
He added that it was not appropriate that the “prime minister from Larkana is hanged” and the PPP is still waiting for justice for Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s execution but the “court waits for one week for the Zaman Park prime minister (Imran Khan)”.
“A dual system [of justice] won’t work nor will we accept it,” Bilawal said. “This cannot happen that if Benazir [Bhutto]’s government has to be sent home then only a Jang news editorial is enough but if [Imran] Khan sahib’s government has to be saved then they are willing to turn, fold and rewrite the Constitution because the blue-eyed has to be saved.” Bilawal said the judges “make a mockery of themselves” by repeatedly delaying Imran’s hearings and merely threatening to arrest him.
Taking another jibe at the judiciary for taking “an interest” in the amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law, Bilawal said the judges were examining it closely because the NAB law is not applicable to them. The PPP chief said that among the amendment to law NAB will be expanding its scope to the judiciary itself — “be it a sitting [judge] or non-sitting (former judge)”. “There is corruption everywhere. It is present in the parliament and it might be happening in the judiciary too,” he said. “If there is a proper law and approach, a powerful chief justice can end corruption and if there is a proper way, it can be removed through a parliamentary process as well.”
Bilawal said the PPP had always had a stance that NAB was made for political engineering, giving space to non-democratic forces and hanging a sword over elected representatives, adding that “this is why this institution should be closed down”. Addressing the “holy cows” of the country, the foreign minister said the PPP would oppose the legislation that makes it a crime to criticise the military and judiciary.
“We are running the setup of the holy cows in which there is a different law for the common man and there is a different law for the holy cow,” Bilawal said. “I think the law should be the same for you and any of the judges.” Bilawal called for the protection of the fundamental rights of people. “We have to fight the dual standards, and we have to protect democracy,” he added.
“We made the Constitution, and we will save it.” Bilawal said that Pakistan is a country of democratic people but attacks have been carried out on Pakistan’s constitution ever since its formation.
He said the Sindh Assembly was the first to adopt the Pakistan resolution whereas the 1973 Constitution was given by former prime minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said that it was because of the Constitution that the people have the right to vote but, ever since its inception, there have been efforts to rob people of it, adding that the Constitution had to go through many tough tests.
Bilawal said that the Constitution is a contract between the state and its citizens, but added that if we keep fighting amongst ourselves, then others would continue to benefit from the situation. “We can only decide who will rule through the people’s vote,” he said.
