By Murtaza Ali Shah in The News, Sept 16, 2023
LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar has said that PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif’s planned return to Pakistan on October 21 will not be affected by SC decision.
After holding meeting with Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif here, Attaullah Tarar said that CJP Umar Ata Bandial has displayed his pro-PTI and pro-Imran Khan bias once again by trying to favour Imran Khan but the verdict will not have much consequences as far as the PMLN leadership is concerned.
Tarar said there was overwhelming evidence that Nawaz Sharif is innocent and “no case is a hindrance in his return to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif’s return date remains the same. The date has been announced. He is coming back on the same date.”
He said that Nawaz Sharif had not violated any rules when it comes to Toshakhana gifts as he didn’t sell anything and made no profit like Imran Khan did by selling all state gifts and hugely benefitting financially.
CJP Bandial had promised that a “short and sweet verdict” would be announced before he retired — his last day as the apex court’s top judge is retiring on September 16, (Sunday) and Tarar said that Bandial’s decision was definitely “short and sweet” for the mother-in-law, a reference to Bandial’s mother-in-law’s leaked audio expressing support for Imran Khan and telling another female colleague she would take up the matter with Bandial to help Imran Khan.
In the majority verdict today, the Supreme Court restored graft cases against public office holders that were closed down following the amendments.
Tarar said, “This is a welcome decision because all cases related to our leadership have been decided on merit and the judges have clearly said the cases against PMLN leaders had no merit and were made for politically motivated reasons. A wrong impression has been created as if a lot of cases of alleged corruption have either been shut down or disposed of through these amendments.
This is not true. Shehbaz Sharif is cleared on merit in Ashiana and assets cases. The only thing Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan have done is to favour Imran Khan through optics and grand standing but this is of not much significance.”
The question is why the Bandial-led bench, minus Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, struck down these amendments, said Tarar. He said Bandial had not touched or struck down those clauses which would negatively affect Imran Khan’s cases. “He has given NRO to Imran Khan. All cases of Shehbaz Sharif are already closed on merit and cannot be reopened. There is only one case of Ramzan Sugar Mills and there is clear evidence that Sharif did nothing wrong.”
“We should celebrate 16 September as the “Day of Good Riddance” as this is the day Bandial retires after bringing disgrace and bias to his office. He said that the judges were responsible for the current mess in Pakistan. “A commission of sitting judges was made on the audio commission involving Bandial’s mother-in-law. Bandial didn’t let the commission work and then became a judge and jury to get himself and his mother-in-law tried.”
Tarar said Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had written an excellent dissenting note and asserted the supreme role of Parliament over the judiciary. “The honourable judge has said that it was unfortunate the SC has assumed the role of Parliament.”
Tarar said former CJP Saqib Nisar was not a hypocrite as he openly supported PTI and didn’t hide his bias while acting as a worker of PTI but Bandial tried to hide behind the robes of law.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1110292-nawaz-s-return-plan-not-affected-by-sc-decision-ata-tarar
