LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) both have voiced dissatisfaction over the Supreme Court's decision to grant Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan relief in the cipher case.
Politicians of both political parties commented a day after the former PTI chairman was granted bail.
Malik Ahmad Khan, a senior PML-N leader, questioned on Saturday how Imran Khan could be bailed for breaching the Official Secrets Act without first having the case thoroughly investigated.
Addressing media in Lahore, Khan remarked, "So, if someone has committed a crime, will you spare him without an investigation? Is it appropriate to combine legal and constitutional violations with fair play?”
The PML-N politico asked how a party could be given its electoral symbol if it was legally prohibited from contesting elections for failing to hold intra-party elections as per the rules specified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The ECP, on Friday evening, stripped PTI of its ‘bat’ symbol. Announcing its reserved verdict, a five-member ECP bench — headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja — declared PTI's intra-party elections unlawful.
The PML-N leader said the ECP raised objections on the PTI’s intra-party elections as its legitimate questions were not answered.
While mentioning the SC verdict in the cipher case, PML-N's Khan said first the PTI founder held a short cabinet meeting on the secret document and then immediately recommended the president dissolve the assemblies on its basis.
He likened the PTI's move to the violation of the Constitution by the military dictators.
Separately, addressing a presser in Karachi, PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon said Pakistan suffered unbearable loss due to cipher and till today the country’s economy is suffering.
He said a hostile country benefitted through it as everyone saw how the Indian media highlighted the cipher case.
Sharjeel Memon said the ones whose parties were launched by few people were not big leaders and cited Asif Zardari's "Pakistan Khappay" slogan at Benazir Bhutto's death as an example of statesmanship
He said multiple leaders served jail terms in the past. He alleged that the PTI robbed people of their rights in the 2018 elections through RTS.
He said the PTI founder was a favourite and lambasted him for "spreading negativity among the youth" through social media.
“Does a big party mean the law will not apply to it? Are big leaders absolved of everything,” Memon questioned.
The PPP leader appealed not to equate those with the PTI founder who wanted the development of the country. Everyone has started assuming the former PM is innocent, he lamented.
“If someone is getting funding from India and Israel, he can never benefit the country,” Memon said, adding that the PPP itself wanted a level-playing field for everybody.
