Political opinions change with changing situation: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said on Friday that political events are not static and a political leader may not necessarily stick to his old views all the times.

Fawad Chaudhry was responding to a question by Geo News anchor Shahzad Iqbal in programme ‘Naya Pakistan’ that Prime Minister Imran Khan had stated at the time of implosion of emergency by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that it was a case of high treason and its punishment is death sentence in our law, but now his views are changing after he has become prime minister. Fawad said every new event happens under particular circumstances and one has to see what he needs to do in the current circumstances. He said 60 percent of our people are below 25 years of age. He said the government needs to work on building their future rather than starting hanging people.

Shahzad Iqbal said a leader must at least stick to his principles. He said similar stance was adopted by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif that his business matters of 90’s were probed at a time that the stock market has crossed 50,000 and country’s economy is developing fast.

Fawad Chaudhry said corruption cannot become acceptable if it has happened back in the past. He said political cases like Musharraf’s case are different from criminal cases. He also cited the example of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who was a member of Congress before joining the Muslim League.

Shahzad Iqbal said imposition of emergency cannot be termed political case. He said law was broken while imposing emergency.

Fawad said former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his colleagues expelled hundred judges which was against Constitution. He said Iftikhar Chaudhry also gave unconstitutional verdicts in Karkay and Rek Diq cases. “Should we hang those judges in treason cases,” he questioned and said the interpretation of political cases is different from criminal cases. He the Army, not Musharraf, is being targeted.

Shahzad Iqbal said the same kind of justification was given previously by Nawaz Sharif that the distance between judiciary and executive will increase if a three-time prime minister was ousted.

Fawad said confrontation is not in favour of anyone. He said a section of judiciary seems to be angry and this anger may also create anger on the other side, which is also very strong. He said Musharraf’s case doesn’t affect the government at all, but it affects Pakistan.