ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said that he was ready to have a discussion with all state institutions as long as those are within the limits of the constitution.
Speaking to media on Thursday outside the accountability court, Nawaz said the discussions – which will not be personal – will cover the subjects of democracy, governance and the national interest. When asked if he was open to talk to the army as well, the former premier stressed that to maintain the supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and democracy, he would engage with all political parties, army and other institutions provided that they stay in their ‘defined boundaries’.
He said every institution in the country must respect the constitution. “I believe in supremacy of the constitution and it is also responsibility of each and every institution to uphold the constitution,” he added.
“Many matters regarding the jurisdiction and authority of a caretaker government have not yet been decided. Therefore, leaders of all political parties should sit together for a discussion on a caretaker setup also,” the former prime minister said. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government will support any amendments made in the law regarding the caretaker government, he said. The government and opposition together can play a vital role in taking decisions regarding a caretaker setup, he added.
Nawaz said it was beyond his comprehension as to why people wanted to put his name on the exit control list (ECL) despite his outstanding performance during his stint as prime minister. “For me, whole of the issue looks to be engineered. I fail to understand as to why all this is happening to me,” he wondered.
Nawaz said that those who abrogated the constitution were enjoying life abroad while a three-time elected premier was facing courts. He recalled that Wajid Zia would stand outside former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf’s house in Chak Shahzad for hours but the retired army chief would not meet him. “He was not even allowed to enter Musharraf’s house,” he said. “I, however, appear before the joint investigation team (JIT) on my own.”
Reminiscing the moment when former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry was grabbed by the hair and muscled into a car by police officials on March 13, 2007, after being unceremoniously relieved from his duties by Pervez Musharraf, the PML-N leader stressed that no contempt notice was taken over that incident but now a contempt notice was being issued every other day.
Nawaz also expressed reservations on JIT head Wajid Zia’s testimony against the Sharif family in references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Reiterating that he was ousted on the basis of an iqama, Nawaz said his party presidency was also taken and now he was being banned from politics for life. “They are digging cases from 70s and 80s.”
Nawaz said there was a question mark over the rationale behind the filing of supplementary references against him and members of his family when no corruption charges were proved against them.
Nawaz Sharif rebutted the claim of Bilawal Bhutto that PML-N had backed out from the Charter of Democracy. “We did not back out, rather NRO issued afterwards harmed the Charter of Democracy,” he said.
The PML-N leader said he was disappointed by the recent political role played by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and questioned as to why the change was indispensible in Balochistan. The nation desires to know on whose whim this change was engineered, he asked.
He said the performance of Punjab and KP government was evident before everyone but unfortunately those who delivered have been made to face court cases. “It was in our government that economy improved, terrorism was eradicated and peace was restored in Karachi. Even nuclear blasts were also conducted during our previous government.
But, unfortunately, I was first disqualified as prime minister on basis of an iqama and later as party president. Now they are mulling to disqualify me for life,” he added.
Talking about Imran Khan, Nawaz said the person who earlier used to hold public rallies at Minar-e-Pakistan has now shrunk to streets and pavements and this is the ‘change’ he had been talking about.
Condemning the incidents of reported harassment of Pakistani diplomats in India and Indian diplomats in Pakistan, the PML-N leader said what made it worse was that it had been happening for decades. Calling it a ‘tit-for-tat’ move, Nawaz pointed out that this behaviour was inappropriate for civilised countries.
Published in Daily Times, March 23rd 2018.
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