ISLAMABAD: Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA), Omar Ayub Khan, Friday demanded on the floor of the house that Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa should stop hearing cases of Pakistan Teheek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its founder Imran Khan.
“We have demanded time and again that the chief justice should not hear cases of the PTI and Imran Khan,” he said and demanded that judiciary should be impartial.
Quoting an example, he said Justice Qazi Faez Isa heard the case of Ehsan Virk, who was an MNA, and gave a verdict. He also repeated his demand that the government should announce successor to the incumbent CJP without any delay.
Omar Ayub said the facilities legally allowed to the PTI founder in jail, were not being provided. He also protested that the PTI founder was not being allowed to talk to his sons on phone for over a month. He also pointed out that whenever he, along with Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Senator Shibli Faraz and other party leaders, went to meet Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, they were made to wait for four to five hours.
He said various officials of the ministry concerned skipped meetings of standing committee on information technology as they had gone to attend meetings at general headquarters (GHQ) and other headquarters. “This is breach of privilege of the House. Whether this house does not take precedence to headquarters,” he questioned. The opposition leader demanded the Speaker impose writ of the house and make sure that the officials concerned should attend the standing committee meetings. He regretted that an official made a wrong statement in the meeting that the issue of slowdown of internet would be resolved soon.
However, another official statement said in the media that the issue would be resolved by October,” he added.
Omar Ayub said frustration and unrest among people of Balochistan was on the rise, adding that cases of enforced disappearances were on also the rise. “There are also cases of enforced disappearance in Punjab,” he added.
The opposition leader also demanded the government take back decision of closing down Utility Stores across country, saying it would render thousands of people jobless.
The NA proceedings faced suspension for over 30 minutes on Friday due to lack of quorum in the House. An opposition member at the outset raised question of quorum when his senior colleague was not given the floor to speak on a point of order.
The NA speaker deferred a calling attention notice for the second day, seeking to be moved by Syed Naveed Qamar and other PPP MNAs regarding a news item appearing in the media that 4.8 million acres of land were being given for corporate farming, resulting in diversion of water.
Separately, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s core committee Friday decided that any bill, introduced by the government in the assembly in conflict with the constitution and affecting the independence of the judiciary, would be challenged in the court.
The committee, which met here with Barrister Gohar Ali Khan in the chair, reiterated that the PTI believed in supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law, said a declaration, issued by the party’s central media department here.
The forum was given briefing on the cases of the party founder Imran Khan and it was reiterated that the cases, filed against him under fraud and deception, would soon reach their logical conclusion and he would be honourably acquitted to assume the leadership responsibility of the nation.
The committee was also told about “highly inappropriate behaviour of the jail administration towards the party founder, under which his fundamental rights are being violated”. It was alleged that those who meet him are humiliated and they are not allowed to interact with him. The meeting made it clear again that the attitude would be raised at every political and legal forum so that it could be rectified.
The committee appreciated the party founder’s decision to contest for becoming chancellor of the Oxford University. “While this decision reflects his popularity at the international forums, this effort will prove to be a key step to highlight the position of Pakistan in the world,” it was noted.
About the public meeting, being held in Islamabad on Sept 8, the core committee was informed that it had been decided that the committees established in that regard would continue their work diligently so that a peaceful and historic meeting was held.
The committee strongly condemned the recent acts of violence in Balochistan, whereas serious reservations were expressed about the government’s priorities in that regard with a warning to the ‘fake government’ to fulfil its responsibilities, bringing an immediate change in behaviour so that law and order situation in the country could be improved.
It was noted that in the February election, people voted for Imran Khan’s ideology in NA-181, NA-79 and NA-154, but the Election Commission violated the requirements of the constitution and the law and in the recount, the three seats were given to “band of thieves”.
The meeting alleged that in the heinous act, Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa fully supported the Election Commission.
The core committee issued party ticket to Hasan Mustafa in 171-NA Rahim Yar Khan.
The forum decided to hold the public meeting in Lahore now on Sept 22 in respect of the blessed day of 12th Rabiul Awwal, falling on Sept 15 or 16.
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