Daily Times

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has demanded the constitution of a full court bench in the polls delay case, saying that he will not accept a decision from the current bench. “It is not an issue of a truck or cart-owner but of national importance. We will not accept the verdict of this bench,” Nawaz said during a press conference in London on Friday. He urged the top court “not to force decisions” as the country was going through the most critical period in its history, saying that everyone agrees on the formation of a full court bench whose verdict would be accepted by all. “Discussions of a three-member bench are ongoing, and it is important for the nation to understand the factors behind it and to open its eyes to see what is going on,” he said. Nawaz said that such benches have brought the nation “to the brink of destruction”, and even now they seek to impose arbitrary rulings.

However, he stated that he would not let Pakistan face any disaster under any circumstance. He said that the Parliament has conveyed its opinion by passing the judicial reforms bill and has forwarded it to the president for approval.

“[Former CJP] Justice Saqib Nisar and other retired judges should tell the nation why I was removed [as prime minister],” he added.

Nawaz said that when he became the prime minister in 2007, such conditions did not exist, further claiming that his government had eradicated terrorism during his time in office.

The former prime minister said that decisions in the past in favour of former prime minister Imran Khan had burdened the nation with debt, forcing the country to beg and plead for every dollar today.

“Shouldn’t there be a suo motu notice on the statement of [former army chief] General Bajwa? Shouldn’t there be a suo motu notice against how Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui was treated and on the verdict against me [in the Panama Papers case]?,” he asked.

The PML-N supreme leader argued that decisions in the past were made solely for the benefit of PTI chief Imran Khan, and questioned whether the judiciary should continue to make decisions exclusively for him, as he believes decisions are still being made today for the sake of just one person.