ISLAMABAD: PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the apex court had given good decisions in the past but termed the judgement on Suri’s ruling to be “full of contradictions”.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, he demanded an investigation into the cypher and said that after an “elected assembly” was instituted, the judgment would be presented and eventually quashed.
He termed the current legislative body as an “occupied parliament” that lacked representation from “Pakistan’s biggest political party”.
“But when an elected assembly comes, and the PTI comes [to power] with a two-thirds majority, we will get this judgment quashed by the assembly. This judgment will be presented in parliament and it will be decided whether Article 6 (which pertains to treason) applies to a violation of Article 69,” Chaudhry said.
Article 69 of the Constitution states that courts are not to inquire into proceedings of parliament.
He urged the judges to practice caution and respect the mandate of “Pakistan’s biggest political power” and to let “political decisions be taken in the political arena”.
Commenting on Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel’s additional note, he said: “I want to tell the judge that if you start [punishing] people under Article 6, there will be a shortage of rope. There are too many necks [to hang].
“It is not your job to instill acrimony in political matters unless you are on a mission to do so,” Chaudhry commented. He added that otherwise, “we will have to tell what has happened and how it happened.”
Without elaborating on this remark, Chaudhry called on the judges to “show restraint”.
He further said the military establishment had been making “political decisions”. “Unfortunately, this is Pakistan’s history,” he said, adding that this, however, would change.
“After such a big media revolution, this cannot continue. People will have to be given the right to decide. Judges and generals cannot continue to take decisions behind closed doors,” he said, adding that the nation was “ready for a revolution”.
Chaudhry said that President Arif Alvi had already sent a letter requesting the formation of a commission to investigate the cypher. “But there has been no reply as yet,” he regretted.
He further referred to former US national security adviser John Bolton admitting during an interview with CNN that US had been carrying out foreign coups. “But our Supreme Court is not ready to acknowledge this,” Fawad said, adding that “we are presenting the material but you are not ready to see it”.
“On the other hand, you give a judgement saying that it was not presented. So, you either see the material and decide on its basis or you don’t see it and make a political decision.”
The PTI leader also took exception to the timing of the detailed judgement, saying that by-polls in Punjab were just two days away. “You held it for four months, could have held it for two more days. But it’s up to you.”
Chaudhry demanded that the cypher be investigated, claiming that the it had been delivered to the CJP in a sealed envelope. “But the SC wrote in its judgement that the cypher was not presented. The judges should ask the CJP why was it not shared.”
During the press conference, a reporter pointed out that when the PML-N used to issue statements against judges, institutions and the army during the PTI’s tenure, they were called “traitors”. “But the PTI is doing the same today,” the reporter said.
Chaudhry replied by saying that no country could run without judges and generals. “The establishment is a country’s backbone. A country cannot run without it,” he said, adding that he was neither talking about the judges nor the generals.
“You talk about issues, you criticise issues.”
