Govt dropped Musharraf issue in court to get away with it: Khursheed

Aitzaz surprised over court verdict

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah Wednesday said the Nawaz Sharif government was under pressure on the issue of Musharraf and it dropped this issue in the judiciary’s lap to get away with it.

Khursheed Shah said some forces are more powerful than Article 6 of the Constitution. “The Article 6 was incorporated in the Constitution during the tenure of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but in spite of this article, he lost his life before power,” he said while talking to media persons at the Parliament House.

The opposition leader said the time has come that the holy and unholy concept should come to an end and the law imposed on all equally. “It is injustice of having two sets of laws, one for powerful and other for weak,” he said.

He said that after the apex court verdict, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appeared to be willing to allow the former president to travel abroad. “The Nawaz Sharif government was in pressure on the issue of Musharraf and it dropped this issue in judiciary’s lap to get away with it,” he said.

He said Nawaz was himself the victim of Musharraf’s dictatorship and if he was maintaining silence on this issue, then what other political parties could do. 

The opposition leader said there was no objection on proceeding of Musharraf abroad but if he did not return then the courts will be responsible for it. He said when Musharraf got ill it was very clear that he will go abroad on medical grounds.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan expressed surprise at the court verdict allowing former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to travel abroad, saying it seems a muk muka has been made on the issue.

Commenting on the Supreme Court order, Aitzaz said Musharraf had failed to appear in some courts and was effectively an absconder from justice. “Non-bailable warrants for his production in courts trying him on serious charges had also been issued. He was also charged with high treason and the trial is pending,” he said.

Aitzaz said Musharraf has also dragged the criminal cases to enable him to obtain relief.  He said that the question was: When will the powerful be made to submit to justice? “It is unlikely that the former military ruler would return to Pakistan,” the senator said.

Aitzaz said that while on the parameters of human rights the decision may be sound but then such facility, it is hoped, would also be allowed to other accused without discrimination. He said the court decisions are precedents to be followed in the future and must apply equally to all citizens, rich or poor, powerful or weak. “It is an abject lesson how the powerful and arrogant humble themselves,” he said.