- The Defense Minister comes down hard on the judicial system, raising a question about conviction and disqualification of two prime ministers in the past.
Islamabad: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that the parliament is supreme and the judiciary is an important part but a wrong impression is being given that the judiciary is being weakened since yesterday legislation.
“We don’t’ need to be apologetic because the legislation of the suo motu powers of the chief justice at this moment is a co-incident. The courts can only interpret but they cannot make laws,”:
“Is this justice that two prime ministers were disqualified in the past?,” said Khawaja Asif, adding that they were not trespassing on any turf.
They said that through the bill, they gave rights to the judges.
He expressed these words while addressing the National Assembly on Wednesday.
“ The structure of the Supreme Court must also be democratize. The law and procedure is getting stronger. There is no trespass. This law should have been done long before,” he added.
He said that the legislation should be done regarding the former prime ministers.
Earlier in the day, he said that the judiciary is important component and likewise the establishment. He said that the contacts were made for dialogue over the prevailing political crisis but no development took place.
“I don’t think that the dialogue among the PTI leaders will bear any fruit,” said the Defense Minister.
He said that all stakeholders in the political system must sit with a definite agenda of dialogue to take the country out of the prevailing conundrum.
He stated that the coalition government held talks with PTI in the last two months but PTI representatives did not show seriousness and rather came without any purpose or agenda.
He said purposeful negotiations, and not talks for the sake of talks, is need of the hour.
A day earlier, the National Assembly passed a resolution advocating for simultaneous elections for all assemblies in a free, fair, and impartial manner to achieve real political stability in the country. The resolution also stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan is a constitutional body, and any interference in its domain should be avoided.
The resolution considers the judiciary’s undue interference in political matters as a source of political instability in the country and validates the four judges’ decision in the suo-moto case while urging for its implementation.
The Supreme Court (Practice and Protection) Bill, 2023, and the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Bill, 2023, were introduced and referred to the relevant standing committee. The former proposes a bench constituted by a Committee for every cause, appeal, or matter before the Supreme Court and grants the party the right to appoint counsel of its choice for filing a review application. The latter aims to protect advocates from assaults, criminal force, intimidation, and threats while discharging their professional duties. The House will convene on Wednesday (today) at 11 a.m.
