The ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has slammed the Supreme Court verdict to release Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, with party’s senior vice president Maram Nawaz demanding Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s resignation.
In a major relief for the PTI chairman, the apex court on Thursday declared his arrest illegal and ordered authorities to release him “immediately”.
A three-member bench — headed by CJP Bandial and comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar — issued the verdict on PTI's petition challenging Khan's arrest.
Reacting to the verdict, Maryam, who also holds the portfolio of PML-N chief organiser, criticised CJP Bandial and asked him to step down from the post and join the opposition party PTI.
“The Chief Justice was very happy today to meet the criminal who plundered Rs60 billion from national exchequer and he [CJP] was even more happy to release this criminal,” the PML-N leader said while referring to the CJP remarks during the hearing.
The ruling party further held the top judge responsible for the attacks on the state installations during the violent protests following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case on Tuesday.
At least nine people died and dozens of others were injured during the two-day countrywide protests with rioters damaging public properties and storming the military installations.
“..[the CJP] is acting as a shield of fitna [rabble-rouser Imran Khan] and is pouring fuel on the fire in the country. You should leave the post of Chief Justice and join Tehreek-e-Insaf like your mother-in-law,” she added.
In a brief statement on Twitter, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal while referring to the crackdown on opposition leaders during the last PTI tenure said: “I wish this Supreme Court was there even during 2018-22!”
“It is highly condemnable to make someone who has damaged state buildings in the country and caused loss of billions of rupees a guest of the Supreme Court,” wrote PML-N leader Hina Parvez Butt on Twitter.
Reacting to the SC verdict, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Secretary General Nayyer Bukhari called for bringing Khan to book and making an example out of him.
“Nation wants ‘legal repair’ of criminals,” he added.