Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif Friday commended recent remarks by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar that judiciary won’t allow anyone to delay the upcoming general elections, but suggested that ‘actions must follow the words’.

“The requirements of free and fair elections should also be worked on and implemented,” the former premier told journalists outside the accountability court. “In order to conduct a fair and timely election, everyone should be given a level playing field,” he said. The standards of justice should be the same, he said, adding that one person cannot be given a clean chit while other’s hands are tied behind the back.

Nawaz said that the elections will not be delayed at any cost as the public now realises that it has been made a fun of for the past 70 years and this mockery can’t go on now. “We will not let the elections be postponed at any cost nor will the civil society [and other segments of society],” he added.

Nawaz said the chief justice should take suo motu notice of ‘anti-democratic’ moves such as the recent no-confidence motion against his party’s chief minister in Balochistan as well as the ‘horse trading’ during the election of the Senate chairman.

The PML-N chief said that whatever has been happening since the ousting of the former chief minister and with the entrance of CM Abdul Quddus Bizenjo needs to be assessed. He said those who switch loyalties for money or selfish reasons need to be rejected. “The country doesn’t need people like them,” he said. The PML-N slogan “vote ko izzat do” is to preserve the sanctity of the vote, and those who sell loyalties in fact disrespect votes. “They will have to face the music in the upcoming elections,” he warned.

The PML-N supremo revealed that he is meeting Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi where he will advise him to make the National Accountability Ordinance ineffective during the caretaker setup – from the dissolution of present government until the elections. He said that he does not want the law to be struck down in his favour, asserting that the case against him can continue but he does not want the law to be used as a tool to influence the electoral process by NAB by taking action against politicians so close to the elections. “NAB law is a black law that was made by a dictator to punish politicians, especially me,” he said, adding, “God willing, we will finish this law”. “If the chief justice wants to implement what he said, he should take suo motu on the misuse of NAB law,” he added.

Once again comparing his disqualification verdict with Imran Khan’s, he said the allegations levelled against the PTI chief were far worse than those against him. “I’ve been removed from party head and disqualified,” he said. “Wasn’t disqualification enough,” questioned Nawaz, while referring to his double-disqualification – both from the office of the prime minister and from the position of chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Nawaz also spoke about the Avenfield apartments in London and Model Town properties in Lahore. “In 1969, Sharif family bought roughly 100 kanals and built houses on it,” he said. “We had sources at the time to acquire these properties.” “What value do these London flats have in front of the Model Town properties?” he asked, adding that Avenfield properties don’t even amount to a fraction of the worth of the Lahore properties. “What sources they’re looking for is beyond me, these are assets we had in the 1970s, I don’t know what they’re looking for now,” he said.

Nawaz then went on to repeat his demand of the accountability court proceedings to be aired live on television, adding that the case against him was based on lies. “We support broadcasting of the trial, we aren’t the ones who take U-turns,” he said, taking a jibe at PTI’s recent demand for making the trial proceedings public. “We stand by our words, you can consider it our written version.”

When asked why the PML-N hasn’t filed a petition for public broadcasting, he said, “We never have and never will deviate from our claims, and the public knows it. We believe in ideology and we follow the same school of thought – all of us sitting in court today.”

Taking on PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz said that Zardari should focus on getting votes before making tall claims of installing a chief minister in Punjab. “PPP should first start getting more than 400-500 votes in Punjab and then talk about bringing a government in the province,” he said.

Pakhtukhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Achakzai and Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo were also present at the accountability court to show support for Sharif. “The CJP should ask all institutions to come together and take an oath over the implementation of the constitution,” he said. “Every institution has its own framework [within the constitution] and we will have to stand against anyone who decides to cross the limits.”

Earlier, Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz arrived from Lahore to attend the hearing of the Avenfield properties reference against them.

However, Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir, who has been conducting corruption proceedings against the Sharif family since September last year, could not preside over the hearing for being unwell.

The hearing was adjourned until April 9 by duty judge Malik Arshad.

Published in Daily Times, April 7^th 2018.