Adil Najam
In yet another historic decision, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has decided that former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, exiled by Gen. Musharaf, can return to Pakistan. According to The News:
The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a landmark verdict on constitutional petitions of Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Thursday announced that Sharif Brothers are Pakistanis and can return home and participate in the national politics. The seven-member larger bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, in a brief judgment said that under Article-15 of the constitution, the petitioners are citizens of Pakistan and therefore their petition is hearable. According to the Supreme Court’s decision, under Article 3 of the constitution no citizen of the country can be kept outside the country and cannot be stopped from his or her return to home.
The document presented by the government on previous day has no constitutional position. Senior lawyer Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim appeared before the court in the case on behalf of Sharif Brothers. Attorney-General Malik Qayyum, Ahmed Raza Kasuri and Ibrahim Satti were the counsels of the federation. Reacting on the decision, Hamza Shahbaz, son of Nawaz Sharif, talking with Geo News said that the Supreme Court’s decision is the victory of Nawaz Sharif’s eight-year stand. During these eight years, Sharif Brothers have spent very hard time. He said that this decision is not the victory of any individual but of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Muslim League (N) has welcomed the verdict announced by the larger bench of the Supreme Court. Leader of party Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that a delegation of his party would soon go to London to determine the procedure of the Sharif Brothers’ returning home. Immediate after the decision, people seemed very enthusiast outside the Supreme Court and thousands of PML (N) workers chanted slogans.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has, once again, rendered a decision that has not just created a buzz but effectively changed the entire political landscape of Pakistan. The big news here is the potential return of Nawaz Sharif but the continuing big news is that the institutional reincarnation of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which has become which has effectively become what it was meant to be. The final arbiter of constitutional sheninigans by political forces.
This means that unless extraordinary measures are taken by the government, we could be set for a real political showdown in the next elections. What this does to PML(Q) – or for that matter to PML (N) as well as other parties – is to be seen. But heads will already be spinning about which karwatt this oont will eventually settle.
It is also interesting that while all the deal-talk went on between Benazir Bhutto and Pervaiz Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif’s political capital might actually have been expanding. Even if he had stuck to principal just because he could not do otherwise, there are many who have actually found his stand to be ‘principled’ and it is likely that between that and this decision, his political capital has in fact increased… at least in the short term. What remains to be seen is whether he and his party will be able to politically capitalize on this; and how.
Syed Hafeez,
One step at a time…. Judiciary can’t look into all matters at once.
At least NS was long time ago. Do you forget how Shaukat Aziz tried to sell Pakistan Steel at throw away prices and almost got away with it. He and his colleagues made billions in HBL fiasco at Karachi Stock Exchange earlier this month. I didn’t see anyone raising eye brows. PNSC which in its history never caught fire has caught fire twice this year first one destroying all the important records and second one because Babar Khan Ghauri (the new Mr. 10 percent) wants to develop a high rise in its place after tearing it down. Now Shaukat Aziz is trying to sell Roosevelt Hotel in New York at a time when real estate prices are their peak through Citibank (incidentally his former employer) in a process which is totally non-transparent and againt the wishes of PIAIL board.
Should the court take suo moto action against any of the aforementioned cases, would they seem to you ‘against corruption, cronyism’ (what the nation needs as you mentioned) or would you see them as ‘politically motivated’ through your tinted glasses.
If you have such misgivings against NS, let him come to Pakistan and file a case against him in courts and let it take its natural course.
I would like to raise a few points
Everyone is loudly proclaiming the “newly found” integrity and independe and power of the judiciary. IF this is so, more power to them. However we saw during the campaign for the restoration of the CJ,, that his lordship had allowed himself to be hijacked and used as a tool of the politicians and tyhose with vested intersts. Did this not seriously compromise his integrity and imaprtiality.
Secondly, tere are so many issues of strategic and national impotance which need to be addressed by the judiciary. Are they doing the riight thing and attaching the proper priority. Are the traffic jams and the power cuts of THAt much national importance to be taken up Suop moto at the cost of neglecting other more important uissues – corruption, cronysism and sa host of others
Do the peole of Pakistan REALLY deserve de a democratic setup> They have such short memories and no real grasp of issues and platforms and a myopic view about talent, capabilities and itegrity. the casee in point is welcoming Mr. and touting Nawaz Sahrif as the next prime minsiter. Have they forgotten how he looted the treaury, was maneoauring to become teh total autocrat and attacking the institutions. he now crows about thejudiciary. Was it not him that had goaade his goons to attack the supreme court while a case against him was bein heard by the august body> His lordship, the then CAJ had to make an umdignified escape to save himself
And then the shameful episode of the COAS plane, exposing more than 250 people (majority of them school children)
About the timing od return of the Sharifs (in name only)/ WHY did tyheuy not initiate this process earlier if they tgiought it was their right. Is it not that it is selction tim,e and they want to have the opportunity to again try and grab power.
Just listyen to his speeches and press conference. He cannot speak for 3 minutes coherently and without repeating himself and has an attention span of an intelelctually cdhallenged primate os 3 year child – and we want HIM as our leader
It is so true that a nation gets the leader that it deserves,
The ONLY ray of light we have is Allahs mercy and His providence
Babar,
If you really want democrats, the I don’t believe even PPP comes close. With the current deal with Musharraf they have already distanced a lot of their sympathisers calling themselves and progressives and pro-democracy and then making a deal with Musharraf through the backdoor.
If you really want to vote for democrats, vote for Jamat-e-Islami because ironically they are the only ones who have a democratic setup within as well as a decision making structure. Also PML(Functional) also recently re-elected Pir Pagara unanimously as President of the party for another term.
All these progressives PPP, MQM, ANP, PML(A,B,C to X,Y,Z) etc are all personal parties.
We have a long way to go but we are getting there.
Rascals out
@Shez You are right bro/sis. Thats why , though being strictly agaisnt 62/63 and judging people by their sexual adventures, am all for a reference against Imran Khan. How dare he boycott the vote for the ammendment to Hadood ordinace? He wants to keep poor women in jails in the name of chastity and for himslef he calls it a personal matter? It puts me off when I dont see even a single person in Pakistani media asking him this question. It seems as long as the maulvis dont call you a zani, it doesnt matter.