SC verdict to shift constitutional balance: Babar Sattar

LAHORE: Expert on legal and constitutional matters Barrister Babar Sattar has said the Supreme Court verdict in Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen disqualification case will cause a shift in the constitutional balance.

Speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Sath’, he said the recent verdicts are reducing the power of democratic institutions and empowering the non-representative institutions. He termed the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf former secretary general Jehangir Tareen and ex-prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N President Nawaz Sharif, unfortunate.

He regretted that the Supreme Court reasoning for disqualification in Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen is inconsistent. On the one hand, the judges say that if the corporate will is taken into account, Jehangir Tareen is the actual beneficiary owner of his house in the UK. As he was supposed to bring it on record and he did not do so, therefore he’s disqualified for not being " sadiq and amen", Babar Sattar said.

On the other hand, the court observed that Imran Khan had established a company only to hold his flat in the UK. As he brought it on record in 2000, the court would not go into details of its ownership issues. The judgement observed that as Imran Khan is not the director and shareholder of the company, therefore it makes no difference whether he is the beneficial owner of the flat.

Babar Sattar questioned as to what benefit was taken by Tareen by not declaring his house in the UK. His wealth was declared here, and he sent the funds through banks and legal channels. As the money was sent abroad after payment of taxes, therefore, there is no need to bring on record the house purchased with the said money, he added.

Speaking in the programme, Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said there is a thinking in some quarters that the parliament should have no majority party. He said these quarters want a leaderless parliament and similarly want the political parties to be also without leaders, because a genuine leader would not pay heed to any dictations about the internal security policy, foreign policy and economic issues, and would take all decisions in accordance with the wishes of the people.

Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, who is no longer associated with it, declared the Supreme Court's verdict in Imran Khan and Jehangir Tareen disqualification case as a good omen for his cause. He said the PTI had been challenging the Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) jurisdiction to look into party’s financial matters and the funding issues. The verdict in fact, validated the ECP jurisdiction that it could investigate the accounts of any political party.

Babar said the SC verdict disqualifying Jehangir Tareen had, in fact, vindicated Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad. Justice Wajih had given a decision against Jehangir Tareen over an issue of corruption.

The decision was also given against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Aleem Khan and another person from Karachi.

Justice Wajih had expelled them from the party for corrupt prcatices. And Imran Khan, instead of implementing the tribunal's decision, expelled Justice Wajih from the party instead. But now, he added, the SC verdict against Tareen has proved that Justice Wajih was correct.