ISLAMABAD: A reference prepared by former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry for the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set the alarm bells ringing for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government which is already under pressure in the wake of revelations made by the Panama Papers.
The reference to be filed by former CJP is being termed more ‘dangerous’ for the prime minister than those already filed by Dr Tahirul Qadri, Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and Latif Khosa, as in his reference Iftikhar Chaudhry has referred to Article 5 of the constitution and raised serious questions regarding Nawaz Sharif’s loyalty to the country.
The lawyers of the former chief justice have visited Parliament House several times to submit the reference but failed to meet National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. On the other hand, the NA speaker had himself received PML-N MNAs Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry when they came to Parliament House a few days back to file reference against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
While it is being perceived by some that the prime minister has succeeded in saving his skin from the Panama scandal, the sword of five disqualification references already pending with the Parliament House is still hanging over him. The Election Commission of Pakistan has fixed August 17 for hearing of these references.
It is interesting to note that after the restoration of sacked judges through PML-N backed lawyers’ movement, ex-CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry had put his weight behind the PML-N. He not only declared the 70-year jail term awarded to Nawaz Sharif by a trial court in the plane hijacking case null and void but also kept pending an application filed for disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif until he completed his full term. The former CJP also helped the PML-N by pointlessly victimising the PPP throughout its entire tenure.
Now the same Iftikhar Chaudhry is filing a reference against Nawaz Sharif. Spokesman of ex-CJP’s Justice and Democratic Party Sheikh Ahsanud Din Advocate told Daily Times that the reference prepared by Iftikhar Chaudhry is of utmost significance because he has crafted it in the light of his decades-long judicial experience and with the help of ‘best legal minds’. He said that the government is afraid of the reference because serious questions have been raised in it on the loyalty of the prime minister to Pakistan along with evidences and proofs. “It is very much true that the battle for PM’s disqualification is slowly moving towards the Supreme Court. As the charges of concealing of assets are highly likely to be proven against the PM, the ECP cannot delay the matter of hearing of the references for long,” he added.
Hard times are also likely to come government’s way in the shape of Qasas Tehrik by Tahirul Qadri and Ehtesab Tehrik by Imran Khan.