Awan accuses Shahbaz of inviting judicial martial law

SARGODHA: Federal Law Minister Babar Awan on Tuesday said Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif's remarks for convening an all parties conference, to be participated by the judiciary and Army, were aimed at paving the way for a judicial martial law. He said there was no role of the judiciary and Army in government affairs in the Constitution.

Awan was talking to media persons here at the residence of former minister of state for interior Tasnim Ahmad Qureshi. He said that the idea of judicial martial law, presented by the chief minister Punjab, was against the Article 63-G of the Constitution. "We regret the negative thinking of N-League chief Nawaz Sharif, who has given the idea of a judicial martial law to his brother Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif," he said.

The minister said the Constitution had elaborated the limitations of the judiciary, Army and parliament whereas neither people nor parliament would accept any conspiracy against the Constitution and the country.

Criticising the Punjab administration, he said how it was possible that those who could not provide slips to 275,000 students of matric, could provide basic amenities of life to 90 million population of the province, adding that students who were not provided roll number slips should be compensated by giving them another chance to save their precious year.

He said the PPP government had given much to all the four provinces as agreed in the NFC Award. "We have given Rs96 billion to Balochistan for development works as compared to Rs22 billion," adding that they had made five coalition governments, including Gilgit-Biltistan, according to the reconciliation politics started by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.

"I am not afraid of cases as I had faced dictators Zia and General Musharraf. Neither I will seek pardon nor I will leave the country. I also would not refrain from fighting the case of Punjab at any rate despite political victimisation by the Punjab administration," he added.

Meanwhile, talking to APP in Kot Momin, Awan said the PPP was promoting the democratic values, as it believes in democracy. "There is no room for 'lotacracy' (defections) in the Constitution now and we will not allow the politics of Lotaism in the Punjab," he said.

The minister said the Punjab chief minister wanted to undermine the Constitution. He said Nawaz Sharif had forgotten that he fell out with General Jahangir Karamat on the issue of a permanent Army role in forming the government. He said the PPP had built a great wall against unconstitutional forces through the 18th and 19th amendments.

He said the PPP had just started opposition in the Punjab and the PML-N was already fretting, adding while on the opposition benches, the PPP politics would be based on issues of the people of the province.

Awan strongly condemned the Faisalabad blast and said cowardly activities of terrorists could not dent the determination and will of the government in the war against terror. "Terrorists targeting innocent people of the country would be dealt with an iron hand."