As the dust settles after the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking decision on the law regulating the chief justice’s powers, Asad Umar, a prominent leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), voiced his support for the ruling.
Umar, while addressing the media outside the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday, hailed the verdict as a “correct decision” by the apex court.
However, Umar asked journalists in the same interaction as to why PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was celeberating the decision.
He termed the query as an “innocent question,” implying that Sharif’s celebration might be in contrast to the overall sentiment regarding the court’s ruling.
The SC on Wednesday upheld the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023, a law aimed to limit the administrative authority of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, with a majority vote of 10-5. The ruling dismissed the pleas challenging the constitutionality of the law.
However, the judgment was not unanimous, as 8 out of 15 judges, including Chief Justice Isa, opposed sub-section (2) of Section 5 of the Act, which granted the right to appeal retrospectively. This dissenting opinion deemed this provision unconstitutional.
The consequence of denying the right to retrospective appeal is significant, particularly for figures like Nawaz Sharif, a key political figure in Pakistan. With this ruling, prospective applicants, including Nawaz Sharif, are unable to appeal against lifetime disqualification from political participation.
This decision has sparked curiosity about Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan, especially considering his recent journey back.
Responding to a question, Umar said it remains to be seen whether Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, who kicked off his journey back to Pakistan a day earlier, would return to the country after the yesterday’s top court decision.
“Everyone is saying that this decision is not good for Nawaz Sharif then why Shehbaz Sharif is happy over this decision,” he quipped. “I am just asking an innocent question that both PTI and Shehbaz Sharif are happy over this decision.”
Umar was referring to the full court’s decision of not allowing right to appeal retrospectively against verdicts taken Article 184(3), meaning Nawaz may not able challenge his lifetime disqualification.
Meanwhile, Asad Umar has publicly distanced himself from the matter in the same interaction with the journalists.
Khan, ousted from power last year via a no-confidence motion, had alleged that a diplomatic cipher sent by Pakistan’s envoy in Washington contained a threat from the US to topple the PTI-led government.
Umar, speaking about the case related to the alleged misuse of a diplomatic cable for vested and political purposes, clarified that the ministry he headed during his party’s government had no involvement in the matter. He expressed his belief that the classified document was used legally, suggesting that he had no connection to any wrongdoing.
In August this year, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Imran Khan and PTI’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case under the Official Secrets Act.
Umar emphasized that his name was mentioned in the FIR concerning the cipher gate but clarified that only his name, and not his ministry (Planning Ministry), was referenced.
