Lahore (August 25, 2017): Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday reiterated his call for respecting sanctity of votes and shunning the practice of ousting elected prime ministers.
Addressing a lawyers convection at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, Nawaz Sharif said that on average an elected prime ministers ruled only for two years, while dictators on average got eight long years to rule the country.
Almost a month after Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from public office, the ousted prime minister said that he wasn’t fighting his own case but that of Pakistan in the court of the masses.
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“Some of judiciary’s decisions are implemented but never accepted by the people,” he said while addressing a lawyers’ convention at Aiwan-e-Iqbal, Lahore. “No prime minister was allowed to complete his or her tenure during the last 70 years.”
He said some people says Nawaz Sharif developed difference with all Army Chiefs. “I may have some faults or there be issues but why other elected prime ministers allowed to complete their term in the history of Pakistan, why Junejo or Benazir’s governments were dismissed,” he questioned.
Nawaz Sharif also criticized judiciary for giving indemnity to dictators’ supra-constitutional steps and their dictatorship.
He added that those who had trampled and abrogated the constitution ruled the county for decades.
The ousted PM said that the authority to run the country was rested with the elected representatives of the people and this should be respected and ensured.
He opined that the country could not afford any kind of crisis at this juncture.
He added that there had been judges who indemnified dictatorship.
He added that he was not struggling for his restoration as Prime Minister rather to ensuring the people’s right to rule. For this purpose PML-N has decided to constitute a committee, which will initiate a national dialogue and would contacts to very segments of the society including teachers, students, farmers, lawyers, journalists and others, he announced.
He urged lawyers to contribute in the proposed dialogue aimed at ensuring sanctity of votes.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif reiterated his stance against the Supreme Court decision, which led to his disqualification on July 28.
He said that for many years he has been fighting the case of the people and democracy.
“You all are aware of the Panama story; my name wasn’t present in the list. You all know I volunteered for a commission led by a respectable Supreme Court judge when the leaks occurred. One decision came on April 20 and another on July 28. But a few questions still remain,” he argued.
Listing the ‘questions’, the former premier asked if WhatsApp calls ever been used to nominate people for such an investigation, has the Supreme Court ever made a joint investigation team (JIT) for such a case, do secret agencies work beyond terrorism and national security, has a 3-member bench ever supervised the work of a JIT, did any petitioner approach the apex court regarding the Dubai company and my salary issue, can any court undermine the law, in our 70-year history, has it ever happened that four verdicts come out in one case, can those judges be included in another bench who have already made their decision, could those judges base their decision on a JIT report who did not oversee the JIT hearings, in the entire judicial history has a monitoring judge been nominated to give verdict against someone, is this matter according to the independence of judiciary, and lastly, can NAB be given any court direction to work accordingly?
“Who but legal fraternity members know better,” he commented.
Sharif recalled that when the petitions were filed they were termed frivolous by the apex court. He also laid out the procedures required by NAB before filing a reference, alluding that they are not being followed in his case.
These are just a few questions being asked by every Pakistani, he said, adding that in their review petition they have raised these questions.
The entire premise is that this decision, based on false premise, be taken back, he urged.
He said though he resigned immediately following the landmark Supreme Court judgment, but this does not mean he accepted it whole heartedly.
Terming the verdict public property, he said it will be debated upon.
The former premier said he is not dejected about the personal impact of the verdict but for the negative impact it had on the country’s development.
Justice should be seen to be done, it is said. Sadly, this one decision will ensure it will be remembered that justice was not done. And it was shown at every step that justice not being done, claimed Sharif.
Recalling the rule of dictators and dismissal of civilian governments in the country’s chequered political history, he asked what his crime was, and then answered: That I didn’t take a salary from my son’s company.
“The support of people has given me strength and hope. They’ve shown me their decision. I have seen anger in their eyes,” he said, recalling his GT Road Rally from Islamabad to Lahore.
Hitting out at the judiciary, he said “our courts have been condoning the rule of dictators and allowing changes to the Constitution. Some judges deteriorated from their oath and supported dictators. No dictator has been punished for abrogating the Constitution. We need to establish sanctity of ballot box”.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we need to identify the disease and come up with treatment,” he said addressing the charged gathering of lawyers.
Sharif said he does not seek his reinstatement but wants the people’s mandate respected.
Earlier, Sharif recalled the ‘special’ relationship between the country and members of the legal fraternity with regards to rule of law and preservation of democracy. “Iqbal was also a lawyer. Jinnah as well. One was a dreamer and the other a doer,” he said, adding that the movement against dictators were all led by lawyers.
The former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo reached the venue earlier to attend the All Pakistan Lawyers’ Convention.
Sharif was accompanied by the Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana and Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid, among other officials.
Prior to Sharif’s address, lawyers’ leaders addressed the convention as well.
Earlier in the day, the deposed premier’s children and son-in-law challenged the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in Panama Papers case.
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The top court, besides disqualifying the PML-N chief from public office, directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file accountability references against the Sharifs.
Nawaz’s children, son-in-law challenge Panama case verdict
He reiterated that his name is not among the hundreds named in the papers. “Despite this, I ordered an inquiry into the leaks.”
It is of paramount importance to uphold the sanctity of public mandate and votes,” he stressed.
“Those who violated the Constitution continued to rule the country for decades,” Nawaz said. “No dictator has ever been punished for breaching the Constitution.”
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