Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has slammed the higher judiciary and claimed that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial is going out of his way to help Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in his legal matters.
Nawaz reacted angrily to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial's request for the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to hear the appeal of Imran Khan regarding his disqualification and conviction in the Toshakhana case, as well as to Bandial's assertion that Khan was wrongfully found guilty and was not given enough time to present his defense.
Nawaz accused the "biassed" judges of mistreating him and pursuing him in the name of justice, including former CJP Saqib Nisar, Justice (ret.) Asif Saeed Khosa, sitting apex court Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and others.
"There was a moment when CJP Saqib Nisar, Asif Saeed Khosa, Ijaz Ul Ahsan, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, and another judge were fixated on putting me in jail, stripping me of my legal standing, and overthrowing my administration at any cost. They did all in their power to harm us, and now that they have been exposed, witnesses are coming forward to detail what they did," Nawaz said.
"These voices are coming from institutions. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui is a senior judge who is a member of the judiciary, not an outsider. He made a statement as a witness. What stronger proofs are needed?" he questioned.
He said that Imran Khan has been implicated in corruption cases ranging from Toshakhana to Al Qadir Trust, but the chief justice is attempting to save him.
Nawaz said, "The former chief justice, Saqib Nisar, was adamant about hurling me against a wall, while the current CJP is devoted to defending Imran Khan.
"Bandial is aware that Imran Khan has ruined the nation, its economy, its national culture, and its customs. He has instilled a culture of gangsterism, eroded the moral foundation of the country, and repeatedly broken Pakistan's constitution," he added.
"Khan only participated in sit-ins and protests, but we worked and delivered," he added.
"Imran Khan, as PM, went to America and said he would get the fans and air conditioner removed from my cell. In sit-ins, he said he would tie a rope around Nawaz Sharif’s neck and drag me out of the PM's house. Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri and Imran Khan complemented each other. What they said and did is part of the record," Nawaz further said.
The PML-N supremo said CJP Bandial is risking his career "for this man."