Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court had exposed the pack of lies of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan who propagandized the no-confidence vote as the ‘regime change’. “Honorable Supreme Court’s detailed judgment on the vote of no-confidence exposes the lies and propaganda indulged in by Imran Khan and company,” he said in a tweet. The prime minister termed it “utterly shameful” how Imran Khan tried to undermine the Constitution and manufactured the lie of “regime change”. “The judgment is a must-read for everyone,” he stressed. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar Thursday said the apex court’s decision would be remembered as an example in the political history of Pakistan. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira on the Supreme Court’s detailed judgment, the law minister said the decision on the deputy speakers ruling was one of important cases in the political history of Pakistan.

“The apex court rejected former deputy speaker of National Assembly Qasim Suri’s ruling on the vote of no-confidence against former prime minister Imran Khan, he added.

He said Imran Khan who was legally not eligible to dissolve the National Assembly suggested the president to dissolve the National Assembly and the president without applying his mind dissolved the Assembly within minutes, while the apex court took suo motu notice and 12 judges of the Supreme Court requested Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to take suo motu notice, as it was an important case in Pakistan’s Constitution and democratic history. The political leadership of the country praised the apex court over the suo motu notice, he added.

He said the apex court in its short order on April 7 not only termed the Deputy Speaker’s ruling illegal and unconstitutional, but also voided the dissolution of the National Assembly. He said the apex court ordered to again take up the no- confidence motion.

The detailed judgment also rejected the deputy speaker’s ruling and termed the dissolution of National Assembly illegal, he added.

The minister said that the Supreme Court had once again played its role in strengthening democracy and rule of law in the country through its latest judgment in the suo motu case of National Assembly Deputy Speaker’s ruling.

He said the apex court also rejected the foreign conspiracy narrative of PTI Chairman Imran Khan thus laying it to rest forever.

The law minister said this was a unanimous verdict by five judges of the apex court, while two honorable judges added to the judgment saying that violation of Article 5 of the Constitution regarding loyalty to state and Constitution had proved. Azam Nazeer Tarar said the Supreme Court however left it to the discretion of the government and the parliament to pursue the case under Article 6.

He said the ruling clearly stated that the rejection of the no-confidence motion by Qasim Suri and subsequent efforts by Imran Khan to dissolve assemblies were carried out in bad faith.

Chaudhry Qamar Zaman Kaira said the Supreme Court’s detailed verdict had stamped that Imran’s conspiracy narrative was itself a plot against the people and nascent democracy. He said Imran Khan wanted chaos and anarchy in the country as he treats himself as a patriot and terms his opponent traitors.

The superior court, National Security Council also in its meetings had rejected the conspiracy narrative. Imran Khan is constantly lying to the nation. However his lies were exposed now.

Imran must present evidence about the conspiracy and avoid maligning country’s institutions, he said.

He urged Imran Khan to have a second thought about his politics of hatred and chaos and do hold demonstrations and criticize the government while adhering to democratic traditions.

Imran may even try to topple the government by tabling no-confidence motion in National Assembly.

He said, indeed, the four year rule of Imran Khan proved a disaster for the country, as he miserably failed to fulfill even a single promise during the entire stint in coveted office.

He said the apex court in its detailed judgment has declared the ruling of Deputy Speaker National Assembly as unconstitutional and mala fide. He said the government could file a treason case against those responsible for the conspiracy against democracy under Article 6 of the Constitution to end conspiracies against democracy once and for all.