Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President, and Chief Organizer have criticized the Supreme Court judges after the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election verdict. In a tweet, she claimed that the verdict against the delay in Punjab and KP elections is part of a conspiracy to rewrite the constitution.
She further alleged that the bench of the Supreme Court has taken the responsibility of facilitating the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, just like the former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed did in 2018. Maryam Nawaz Sharif added that the majority of the Supreme Court judges have opposed the facilitation done through a ‘one-man show’.
The PML-N senior vice president claimed that today the Punjab government has been handed over to the PTI chairman Imran Khan on a plate. She urged the parliament to take action and stop the PTI government’s facilitation through legal and constitutional ways.
Earlier, the Supreme Court declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) March 22 order on the Punjab elections null and void. The court declared the ECP’s order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to release Rs. 21 billion in funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s criticism of the Supreme Court judges is not new. In the past, she has accused the judiciary of being biased and supporting the PTI government. Her party, the PML-N, has also criticized the judiciary for targeting its leaders and supporters.
The PML-N’s criticism of the judiciary has raised concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Pakistan. The judiciary’s impartiality is essential for the rule of law and democracy in the country. The judiciary must remain impartial and uphold the constitution and the law, irrespective of the political affiliations of the parties involved.
The PML-N’s allegations of a conspiracy to rewrite the Constitution are also concerning. Any attempt to rewrite the constitution without a proper democratic process would undermine the legitimacy of the constitution and the democratic institutions in Pakistan.
The criticism of the Supreme Court judges by Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N is a reflection of the political polarization in Pakistan. The judiciary must remain independent and impartial to uphold the rule of law and democracy in the country. The government and opposition parties must respect the judiciary’s decisions and work together to strengthen democratic institutions and processes in Pakistan.
