Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar is repeating the language used against him by his political opponents Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari.

Speaking to the media at the accountability court on Monday, Nawaz Sharif said the language being used and the remarks being made by Imran Khan and Asif Zardari were being repeated by the CJP.

He said he supported the CJP’s position that there was no room in the Constitution for delay in the holding of elections.

Referring to the CJP’s clarification on rumours regarding judicial martial law, Sharif said the CJP’s stance had yet to reflect in his rulings. “I have grave doubts about it,” he said, adding that judicial martial law seemed like a funny term to him and he was completely unable to make sense of the term. Regarding the caretaker setup, Sharif said he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi but he felt that it was too early to make any public statements about it. He said power production had increased in the country, adding, ‘We are on a path towards economic progress’.

However, he said, there was still uncertainty in the country due to the Panama Papers case, adding that the prevailing conditions had led to the devaluation of rupee, putting a huge burden of foreign debt. Indirectly referring to the CJP’s remarks made on Saturday about the performance of the provincial government, Sharif said the public was well aware of the performance of the PML-N government in Punjab, as well as that of provincial governments in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The country is heading towards unfair elections. Everyone should be given an equal opportunity to contest elections,” he said, adding that pre-rigging was already underway.

“No one will accept the results of such an election,” he added.

Referring to the ongoing wave of judicial activism, he said, “If this continues to happen then what kind of free and fair elections will be held in the country.”

Published in Daily Times, April 10^th 2018.