BB wasn’t committed to Iftikhar’s reinstatement: Qaim

BB wasn’t committed to Iftikhar’s reinstatement: Qaim

CM Shah says that Justice Chaudhry in one of his speeches put his weight behind Nawaz as quid pro quo for Sharif’s support to him. ‘It doesn’t suit a judge,’ he remarked. - APP/File Photo

HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has outright rejected Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s claim that Benazir Bhutto wanted reinstatement of ‘former’ Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry because he (the chief minister) possessed press clippings in which she reacted against Chaudhry’s judgement on NRO. He said that she termed it an attempt whereby Justice Chaudhry tried to sabotage reconciliation and to continue with his own agenda so that she shouldn’t return.

The chief minister said that Iftikhar, instead of showing grief over the sad demise of our party workers killed on May 12, 2007, stayed the NRO. CM Qaim said NRO came about due to the efforts of Shaheed Bibi and it (NRO) was for the benefit of other parties as well.

During his one hour discourse the chief minister confined himself to criticism of Nawaz Sharif and also touched the deposed judges’ issue. Still, he expressed the hope that situation would show improvement because PPP believes in reconciliation – the mission of the slain PPP leader.

He said that government was not taking post-disqualification situation lightly. ‘So far there is no progress as far as efforts of Fazalur Rehman and Asfandyar Wali are concerned but we are hopeful. Since the issue is serious its solution should also be serious one’, he said. He asserted that, ‘we are open to correctness but it was a verdict of apex court and not of prime minister or president.’

‘Who else was closer to her than me? I was president of PPP Sindh at that time and used to be present in every press conference. We were well aware of her concepts and thoughts and same is the case with our president Asif Ali Zardari,’ Shah said.

He didn’t clearly reply to a question when asked by a journalist whether Benazir Bhutto was having two different stances over deposed judges’ issue, one for public consumption and one for her party.

He said that after Sharif announced boycott of elections on account of her tragic assassination, it was Asif Ali Zardari who persuaded him to refrain from it as it was a democratic process.

He added that Asif Ali Zardari promised to restore pre November 3 judiciary but in accordance with constitutional provision which calls for amending 17th constitutional amendment through two third majority.

‘I now believe that from day one they (PML-N) were hell-bent to destabilise the federal and provincial governments because it was not the way that pressure should be mounted to weaken the government,’ he said. All the judges had been restored after having taken oath on constitution and given seniority accordingly but one judge from Sindh and Justice Chaudhry had not done it, he said.

He also lashed out at PML-N’s smear campaign against President. ‘It seems that they are suffering from Zardari phobia because they had been trying to dislodge him just in six months after he was elected as president with a historic number of votes,’ he said. He asked Sharifs to desist from targeting or maligning the president because he represents the unity of the federation. He said Sharifs first cried over Benazir’s death but now their workers were burning her memorial.

He said that Sharif in his post-disqualification press conference expressed his determination that ‘his’ supreme court would set aside the judgement. Simultaneously, he said, Justice Chaudhry in his speech also put his weight behind him as quid pro quo for Sharif’s support to him. ‘It doesn’t suit a judge,’ he remarked.

He defended imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab. He said, Nawaz Sharif not only imposed governor rule in Sindh in the past but also interfered in provincial autonomy.