Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) senior leader and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has fired yet another shot at the judiciary, saying that the institution should be held accountable for unlawful or unconstitutional actions performed by it during the last 75 years.
The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to push back elections for the Punjab Assembly until October 8 was unconstitutional and set May 14 as the date for provincial general elections. This sparked a "tug of war" between the two pillars of the state: the parliament and the judiciary.
While talking to journalists in London, Asif said, "All the unconstitutional and illegal actions taken in the past 75 years, especially by the judiciary, should be held accountable."
The defence minister said in a press conference in London that "all the illegal and unconstitutional actions taken in the past 75 years, especially by the judiciary, should be held accountable."
He said this in response to a question regarding justice posed to PMLN supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 due to medical reasons.
The three-time prime minister stepped down after the apex court, in a significant judgment on the Panama Papers case in July 2017, barred him from holding public office.
For failing to disclose his non-withdrawn receivables from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nomination papers for the 2013 general election, a five-member bench led by the then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Mian Saqib Nisar, unanimously disqualified Nawaz Sharif, stating that this meant he was not "honest" and "truthful" as required by the Constitution.
While responding to another question, he said that he traveled to London in order to meet with Nawaz Sharif.
In response to a query regarding his incisive statement in the National Assembly on May 2, Asif said that it was his responsibility to protect the legislature. He said the only way to resolve the crisis is that all institutions should operate within the bounds of the Constitution.
The minister reaffirmed that the judges who sentenced Nawaz would be brought before the parliament's bench.
The Supreme Court ruled last month that the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to push back elections for the Punjab Assembly until October 8 was unconstitutional and set May 14 as the date for provincial general elections. This sparked a "tug of war" between the two pillars of the state: the parliament and the judiciary.
While talking to journalists in London, Asif said, "All the unconstitutional and illegal actions taken in the past 75 years, especially by the judiciary, should be held accountable."
The defence minister said in a press conference in London that "all the illegal and unconstitutional actions taken in the past 75 years, especially by the judiciary, should be held accountable."
He said this in response to a question regarding justice posed to PMLN supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 due to medical reasons.
The three-time prime minister stepped down after the apex court, in a significant judgment on the Panama Papers case in July 2017, barred him from holding public office.
For failing to disclose his non-withdrawn receivables from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nomination papers for the 2013 general election, a five-member bench led by the then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), Mian Saqib Nisar, unanimously disqualified Nawaz Sharif, stating that this meant he was not "honest" and "truthful" as required by the Constitution.
While responding to another question, he said that he traveled to London in order to meet with Nawaz Sharif.
In response to a query regarding his incisive statement in the National Assembly on May 2, Asif said that it was his responsibility to protect the legislature. He said the only way to resolve the crisis is that all institutions should operate within the bounds of the Constitution.
The minister reaffirmed that the judges who sentenced Nawaz would be brought before the parliament's bench.