Latest orders based on social media discourse: Mustafa Kamal

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan senior leader Syed Mustafa Kamal has said the Supreme Court’s decision on the petition filed for reserved seats in the assemblies has caused “irreparable damage” to democracy, the constitution and the law of the land.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, he said the present day would be remembered as a black day in the history of justice.

He alleged that the latest orders were based on the prevailing discourse on social media platforms. “It is unfortunate for the country that a person riding a wave of popularity, who could vocally utter foul language and insult the persons associated with the national security institutions and their families, could damage the national assets by disregarding the law,” he said.

Kamal alleged that former chief justice Saqib Nisar had been a facilitator in imposing a government on the country in 2018 after paralysing the entire RTS (result transmission system). He further alleged that WhatsApp had been used in the past regime to give court orders. He recalled that the chief of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) had contested the last general elections independently whereas no person from the religious minorities could become an SIC member as per its constitution.

He mentioned that the petition filed in the judiciary contained the plea that the reserved seats should be given to the SIC. But the Supreme Court’s latest decision went in favour of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which was not a party to this case. “After today’s judgment, the court would find no basis to punish a person involved in a misdemeanour with less fan following on social media as there should be a lawful recourse available to pardon him,” he said. The MQM senior leader that a person riding a wave of popularity could rise above the law and constitution as sorrowfully the integrity of the character didn’t matter anymore in the country.

He clarified that the MQM-Pakistan hadn’t been criticising anyone as it was merely giving its opinion on this issue based on the constitution. “We are doing this because the voters and sympathisers of the MQM have been asking us the question when they would become an equal citizen of Pakistan with all such privileges and facilities,” he said.