PM Shehbaz calls out ex-CJP Saqib Nisar for being 'PTI's agent'

• Nisar played key role in Nawaz's disqualification, PM claims.
• PM Shehbaz says House Committee to probe ex-CJP and son.
• "Parliament stands united," premier asserts.

LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called out former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar for being an "agent" of  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claiming that he served Imran Khan-led party as an activist during his tenure at the Supreme Court.

The premier claimed that the audio leak of ex-CJP's son Najam Saqib implicates him in a conspiracy to bring PTI chief Khan to power.

The son of the former chief justice was heard speaking to a PTI candidate, Abuzar Chadhar, regarding issuance of party tickets for the upcoming Punjab elections.

PM Shehbaz's comments came while talking to journalists in London where he is currently on a visit due to his attendance for the coronation of King Charles III. The prime minister also met his brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif during his visit.

The premier said that Nisar had played a key role in the disqualification of the PML-N supremo on completely baseless and false allegations and ran a vindictive campaign against their party in order to bring Khan into power through a rigged election he presided over.

PM Shehbaz said ex-top judge of the apex court used suo motu notices for his personal and political interests and not for public interest.

The prime minister added that the audio leak of the former CJP’s son is a proof that a conspiracy was hatched to bring the PTI chief to power in which Nisar himself was also involved.

He further stated that the House committee had called the ex-chief justice and his son to answer questions about their involvement in the sale of tickets for Rs120 million.

'Parliament will assert its supremacy at all costs'

PM Shehbaz said that elections in the country will take place on the same day and parliament will assert its supremacy at all costs.

"Elections will take place on one day. In Punjab, in the past, there was a wrong impression that it is the big brother of the provinces. All provinces are equal. Conducting elections in Punjab on one day is not in Pakistan’s interest," he said.

The premier added that the parliament’s constitutional rights will be protected and it has one voice on this matter.

"There is no doubt that parliament, within its limits, will assert its authority. The whole parliament stands united. Parliament will get itself asserted within its legal remit," he asserted.

'For Khan-led party everything is plaything'

Moreover, PM Shehbaz also slammed the PTI for creating “controversy” around Pakistan’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moot in India, adding that for the Khan-led party "everything" is a "plaything".

“It is deeply troubling how the PTI tried to generate controversy around Pakistan’s participation in the SCO meeting in India,” the premier tweeted a day after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari returned from India.

However, the prime minister said that it was not “surprising” as his predecessor “had no qualms about imperiling the country’s vital foreign policy interests in the past”.

"This is what they did when they were in power. For the PTI, everything  —including the conduct of interstate relations — is a plaything,” tweeted the premier.

FM Bilawal visited the Indian city, Goa, to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) meeting.

The visit was hailed by former diplomats, foreign policy analysts, scholars and experts as it marked the first time in more than a decade that a Pakistan foreign minister had visited the neighbouring country.

However, PTI was not very welcoming to the idea of a Pakistani foreign minister visiting India and was critical of Bilawal’s actions during his trip.

Reacting to the PM’s tweet, PTI leader Andleeb Abbas termed the prime minister’s tweet “ironic”.

“Washington Post expose of Discord Leaks revealed his dangerous tilt towards US in the war between Ukraine and Russia was revealed imperiling relations with China and Russia. No denial of this leak. Foreign policy Mr PM is not just 7-day vacation in UK on taxpayers’ expense,” Abbas wrote on Twitter.

When the visit was announced, PTI's Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry opposed the move and tweeted: “Strongly condemn FM visit of Goa, participation would have been possible on video but problem is you people in love of Modi are ready to disregard atrocities committed by Modi Janta in Kashmir and hardships Muslims of India and minorities to make Modi Janta happy. Pak Foreign policy is dead by all definitions of the word”.

When journalists tweeted that Bilawal and his Indian counterpart Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar exchanged pleasantries, former human rights minister and PTI leader Shireen Mazari questioned the visit.

“[Pakistan Democratic Movement] PDM/handlers loyalists trying to retrieve some dignity for imported FM who was given a slap on the face by India refusing a bilateral meeting with his counterpart. 

"So, his being seated on FMs table and Indian host shaking his hand was breaking news and sole achievement (although no picture)! Should he have been made to sit alone?” asked Mazari.

The former human rights minister also slammed FM Bilawal for his gestures while greeting his Indian counterpart ahead of the start of the SCO moot.

“The real story is in this picture where Indian counterpart and host doesn’t put his hand out to shake Bilawal’s hand but does Namaste as does Bilawal,” tweeted Mazari.

The PTI leader said “signaling is important in diplomacy” especially when both are hostile states. She claimed that Bilawal signalled “appeasement” with the gesture.