Daily Times

Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that unprecedented relief given to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has raised questions about impartiality of courts.

Addressing to a press conference at his residence in Sialkot on Saturday, he said the judiciary should act according to the constitution and law, instead of personal liking and disliking. He said facilitation provided to Imran Khan by the courts of law was highly questionable.

He said when a judge would tell an accused that he was happy to see him, what justice could be expected from him. He wondered where were such judges when verdicts were being given against Nawaz Sharif and his family members. Kh Asif alleged that the establishment and the judiciary had facilitated ouster of Nawaz Sharif from the government, and attempted to eliminate him from politics. However, he added, Nawaz Sharif could not be eliminated from politics, but all characters, who were involved in the conspiracy, had been exposed now. Kh Asif thanked God that Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is still the prime minister of Pakistan.

The defence minister expressed deep sorrow over the heavy damage inflicted on the public property by the PTI activists. He said had the army and police reacted during the attack, the state would have suffered. But, in such a situation, ulterior motives of Imran Khan would have been fulfilled, he added. The minister said the whole nation saw what the PTI leaders were telling their supporters. Imran’s lust for power would destroy the peaceful environment of the country, he added.

The defence minister said the PTI supporters had been involved in attacking national institutions, adding that the government would take action against all violators. “No one will be allowed to take the law into his hands,” he warned. He said action would be taken against those who would be found involved in attacking national security institutions.

Kh Asif recalled that during four-year rule of Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), false cases were registered against the PML-N leaders. He regretted that Mian Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for life only for not taking salary from his son’s company. Why he was not given the same relief, which was given to Imran Khan the other day, he raised a question. “Today, Imran Khan is getting bail even in those cases also which he does not know about,” he added. Where was the justice system when the PML-N leaders used to appear in courts; when Nawaz Sharif and his daughter used to appear before judges, Kh Asif said, adding that when Maryam Nawaz had visited her father in jail, she was arrested there.

The defence minister said that for the last four years, Imran Khan had been looting the nation, and now his followers were looting the country. It was Imran Khan, who gave orders for causing chaos and anarchy in the country, he alleged. The federal minister said that Parliament was the supreme institution, and it would protect its jurisdiction, its rights and its authority in all circumstances. Whatever decision it would take, the executive was bound to implement it according to the constitution, he added.

Kh Asif said that the establishment was playing its role according to the constitution, but Imran Khan and his followers were not happy with it. That was why they were attacking the institution, he added. He said what Imran Khan and his followers had done to the country in the past week, could not be done even by the enemy in the past 75 years.