LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry has asserted that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was ‘pressurising’ judiciary to stop the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) from happening within the constitutional time frame of 90 days, ARY News reported on Friday.
Talking to journalists, the former information minister said that PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz was leading a campaign against ‘judiciary’ as the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has taken a suo motu notice of delay in Punjab and KP elections.
“The PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] government was targeting the judges vigorously,” Fawad Chaudhry said, noting that they cannot hide their ‘incompetence’ by ‘insulting’ others.
Referring to government’s reservation of the SC bench – hearing the suo motu notice, Fawad said that the bench also includes five judges who suspended the ruling of the then-deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri.
“The incumbent rulers came into power after Qasim Suri’s ruling was suspended,” he said, adding that the PTI accepted the SC’s verdict and did not confront the judiciary.
He pointed out that a case was registered against former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan after the latter demanded legal action against the torture of Shahbaz Gill. “Despite the registration of case, we did not target the judiciary,” he added.
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“Currently, the judiciary is facing blackmailer mafias,” Fawad said, adding that ‘fake and edited’ audios of important personality were released to blackmail him. He urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to stand by the Constitution, saying that his party will not allow blackmailing and pressuring of judges.
Referring to the Jail Bharo Tehreek, the PTI leader said that party leaders were shifted to remote areas after they court arrest. “Medicines are not being delivered to Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar even after 48 hours”, he claimed.
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A day earlier, PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz during her speech at the PML-N workers’ convention in Sargodha alleged that the ‘group of five’ includes sitting and former Supreme Court judges and the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, Lt Gen (Retd) Faiz Hameed for the country’s current woes.
She, while addressing the convention, asked PM Shehbaz Sharif not to worry about the remnants of Faiz Hameed and held them accountable. She also termed Lahore CCPO Ghulam Muhammad Dogar an associate of Imran Khan.
The PML-N leader further said that the “cabal of five” created political instability, which triggered an economic crisis leading to skyrocketing inflation in the country.
