Supreme Court verdict exposed Imran’s lies: PM Shahbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Mianister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said that the Supreme Court's detailed judgment on vote of no-confidence exposed lies and propaganda of Imran Khan and his cronies.

“[The] Supreme Court’s detailed judgment on vote of no confidence exposes lies and propaganda, indulged in by Imran Khan and company,” the PM said on his Twitter account. He said it was utterly shameful how Imran Khan tried to undermine the Constitution and manufactured the lie of 'regime change'. “The judgment is a must read for everyone,” he added.

The SC, in its detailed judgment, said the court was not satisfied with the proofs, as insufficient evidence was presented to support the PTI’s claim of foreign interference.

Earlier, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in his short order, had termed the ruling of the-then deputy speaker Qasim Suri unconstitutional.Separately, addressing a press conference here, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said: “We have started work to file a reference under Article 6. Only the federal government has the authority to file cases under articles 5 and 6,” he added.

The interior minister said that the top court had given a historic verdict on former deputy speaker's ruling. “This decision has implemented the rule of law and the rule of people.” Sanaullah said the court used the words “blatant violation” in its judgment, which had caused PTI Chairman Imran Khan's 'political demise'.

He said that Imran Khan committed fraud with the Constitution. “He violated the Constitution for his benefit. [...] according to the order, the president, the then-prime minister, and the then-deputy speaker violated the Constitution,” he said.

He said morally it was binding on the president that he should resign from his office after the pronouncement of the detailed SC verdict. He added that other than the treason case, there was another way to punish the PTI leaders. “The NA speaker will move the election commission seeking to unseat and disqualify them (PTI MNAs, including Imran Khan),” he said.

Sanaullah added that he would also seek the federal cabinet’s permission to arrest the PTI chairman. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Thursday that the apex court’s decision on former NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling on the no-confidence vote would be remembered as an example in the political history of Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference along with Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira, he said former prime minister Imran Khan, who was legally not eligible to dissolve the National Assembly, suggested the President to dissolve the National Assembly and the President, without applying his mind, dissolved the assembly in minutes.

The minister said the SC once again played its role in strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the country through its judgment in the suo moto case. He said the apex court declared the ruling of ex-deputy speaker unconstitutional and mala fide. He said the apex court rejected the foreign conspiracy narrative of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, thus laying it to rest forever.

Azam Tarar said the SC, however, left it to the discretion of the government and parliament to pursue the case under Article 6. Meanwhile, Qamar Zaman Kaira said the SC declared in its detailed verdict that the “statement of conspiracy was a big conspiracy in itself”.

“What the former prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker did was a conspiracy against democracy and democratic institutions of the country.” Imran Khan is not a democrat, but a man of fascist mindset and the PTI wanted more riots in the country, he said.

Also, following the detailed verdict of the SC, the PPP demanded resignation of President Dr Arif Alvi. The party also demanded action against former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar and deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri for violating the Article 5 of the Constitution and action under Article 6 of the Constitution against them.

Minister for Climate Change and PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman demanded the resignation of President Dr Arif Alvi while Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari not only demanded the resignation of President Dr Arif Alvi but also sought action under articles 5 and 6 of the Constitution against the president, former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar and former deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri.

Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said Arif Alvi had lost his legitimacy as the president after the Supreme Court annulled the order to dissolve the National Assembly.

Bokhari said according to the decision of the Supreme Court, Article 6 will also be enforced against Imran Khan. “Imran Khan is proved to be a liar in the Supreme Court decision, the implementation of Article 6 is certain. Turning away from the oath in the support of Imran Khan by the speaker and deputy speaker has been declared as violation of the Constitution,” he said.