ISLAMABAD: Minister for Law and Justice Senator Nazir Tarar on Wednesday reminded the leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that in the past they had celebrated a verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan that a convicted individual could not lead a political party and take political decision.
“It were you who celebrated a verdict and distributed sweets in a case against Nawaz Sharif when the Supreme court declared that a convicted person cannot lead a political party, I would take political decisions and participate in parliamentary matters,” the minister for law said while responding to points raised by an opposition member in the National Assembly.
He said that the verdict which he was talking about was given in the Zulfikar Bhutto case during the PTI’s tenure. “You celebrated the verdict, distributed sweets saying that justice had been done,” he said.
The minister was referring to a demand of the opposition for a meeting with imprisoned Imran Khan for discussion on the upcoming federal budget. Senator Tarar, however, extended an offer to the opposition for a pre-budget briefing saying that the prime minister had also directed that questions raised by the opposition should be responded. The minister of law on behalf of the prime minister reiterated an offer of talks to the opposition leader for discussion on the constitutional appointments. “But first let us create an environment for the sitting,” he said.
Talking about the demand of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) with regard to 12 seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly, the minister said the Kashmir cause was also alive because of these seats which are reserved for Kashmiri refugees who migrated from Indian Occupied Kashmir and rendered sacrifices. “These seats are linked with the Kashmir cause and an ideology,” Senator Tarar maintained.
However, he said the matter was taken to the All Parties Conference (APC) but the PTI leadership did not participate in the APC. On recommendation of the APC, the matter was taken to the AJK Assembly which decided that the AJK president would send a reference to the Supreme Court of AJK. He said the Supreme Court gave the verdict that it was the new AJK Legislative Assembly that could take a decision on these 12 seats. But he regretted that the elements who were spreading unrest in AJK were taking dictations from across the border to damage the Kashmir cause.
“Let us sit together on this sensitive matter and there should be no political point-scoring on the same,” he said. He also recalled that 35 out of 38 demands of JAAC were accepted in the past saying that electricity consumers in AJK were being charged Rs3 per unit only while they were also getting flour at subsidised rate of Rs2,000 per 40 kilograms.
Responding to another point raised by the opposition, the minister for law and justice said the federal government was securing additional funds from the share of provinces for strategic needs in view of challenges under Article 164 of the Constitution. “These are voluntary contributions which the federal government also makes for special needs,” he said adding that the allocation for strategic needs was being made within the constitutional framework.
