Justice not done in Panama case: Nawaz

LAHORE: Criticising the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the Panama Papers case, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that justice had not been done to him.

Addressing a lawyers convention at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal here on Friday, he said that it was said that justice should be seen to be done. “Sadly, this one decision will be remembered as the one in which justice had not been done. And it was shown at every step that justice was not being done,” alleged Nawaz.

He said that in the past, various decisions of the Supreme Court came under heavy criticism and his disqualification decision would also be added to such bad decisions.He said though he had resigned immediately after the pronouncement of the SC judgement, that did not mean that he had accepted it wholeheartedly. It should be reversed for being a wrong decision, he demanded.

Sharif said he did not seek his reinstatement, but wanted the people’s mandate respected.“You all are aware of the Panama story; my name was not present in the list. You all know I volunteered for a commission, led by a respectable Supreme Court judge, when the leaks occurred.

“We also constituted a parliamentary committee. But the other side wanted to create unrest and anarchy by way of street protests and agitation.“One decision came on April 20 and another on July 28. But a few questions still remain,” he added.

Listing 12 questions, the former premier asked if WhatsApp calls had ever been used to nominate people for such an investigation? Do secret agencies work beyond terrorism and national security? Has the Supreme Court ever made a joint investigation team (JIT) for such a case? Did any petitioner approach the apex court regarding the Dubai company and his (Nawaz) salary issue? Can any court undermine the law? Has a three-member bench ever supervised the work of a JIT? Can those two judges be included in another bench who have already given their decision? Could those judges who did not oversee the JIT hearings base their decision on a JIT report? In our 70-year history, has it ever happened that four verdicts were announced in one case? In the entire judicial history, has a monitoring judge been nominated to give verdict against someone? Is this matter according to the independence of the judiciary? And lastly, can NAB be given any direction to work accordingly?

“Who, but the legal fraternity members, know better,” he commented.Sharif recalled that when the petitions were filed, they were termed frivolous by the apex court. He also laid out the procedures required by NAB before filing a reference,adding that they were not being followed in his case.

These are just a few questions being asked by every Pakistani, he said adding that in their review petition, they had raised these questions.“The entire premise is that this decision, based on false premise, be taken back,” he added.

The former premier said he was not worried about the impact of the verdict on his person but for the negative impact it had on the country’s development. Terming the verdict public property, he said it would be debated upon.

Nawaz also questioned the appointment of a monitoring judge over NAB references, saying that the appointment of such a judge, who had already disclosed his mind after rendering the decision of his disqualification, would be a violation of the fundamental right of a fair trial.

Recalling the rule of dictators and dismissal of civilian governments in the country’s chequered political history, he asked what his crime was, and then answered: “That I did not take a salary from my son’s company.”

He said: “The support of people has given me strength and hope. They’ve shown me their decision. I have seen the anger in their eyes,” he added, recalling his GT Road rally from Islamabad to Lahore.

Without naming any institution, Nawaz pointed out that he had been blamed for having unfriendly relationship. “But I ask what went wrong with the first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan to Benazir Bhutto. Did they all also fail to develop cordial relationships?”

“The chapter of sending elected prime ministers packing should be closed now. Elected prime ministers are either hanged or put behind the bars, while dictators have never been held accountable or punished,” Nawaz added.

Hitting out at the judiciary, he said: “Our courts have been condoning the rule of dictators and allowing changes to the Constitution. Some judges deviated from their oath and supported dictators. No dictator has been punished for abrogating the Constitution.”

The nexus between power and the judiciary would have to be broken, the former premier said. “We need to establish the sanctity of ballot.”“Ladies and gentlemen, we need to identify the disease and come up with its treatment,” he said while addressing the charged gathering of lawyers.

Nawaz Sharif said a committee had been formed for holding talks with other political and parliamentary parties to make amendments to controversial articles of the Constitution. Earlier, Nawaz recalled the ‘special’ relationship between the country and members of the legal fraternity with regard to the rule of law and preservation of democracy. “Iqbal was also a lawyer, Jinnah as well. One was a dreamer and the other a doer,” he said, adding that the movements against dictators were all led by lawyers.

He announced launching a movement on the pattern of Pakistan Movement and sought lawyers’ cooperation and participation in it.The former premier and former president Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz reached the venue earlier to attend the All Pakistan Lawyers’ Convention.

Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana, Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid, provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah, provincial school education minister Rana Mashood accompanied Nawaz Sharif.Prior to his address, lawyers’ leaders addressed the convention as well. A considerable number of lawyers, mostly affiliated with the PML-N, attended the convention. They raised slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif and denounced the apex court verdict.