Judiciary should be held accountable for ‘unconstitutional’ steps in 75 years: Khawaja Asif

• Asif confirms he arrived in London to meet PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
• Says solution to crisis is institutions should work within constitutional ambit.
• Judges who sentenced Nawaz would be called into parliament’s dock.

In yet another salvo at the judiciary, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday said that the institution should be held accountable for illegal and unconstitutional steps taken during the past 75 years — deepening the ongoing tussle between the incumbent government and the Supreme Court.

The “tug of war” between the two pillars of the state — the legislature and the judiciary — began last month when the Supreme Court declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone polls to the Punjab Assembly till October 8 as unconstitutional and fixed May 14 as the date for general elections in the province.

Talking to journalists in London, the defence minister said: “All the unconstitutional and illegal actions taken in the past 75 years, especially by the judiciary, should be held accountable.”

He made the remarks while responding to a question about justice to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif — who has been living in London in self-imposed exile on medical grounds since November 2019.

The three-time prime minister had stepped down after being disqualified from holding public office by the apex court in a landmark decision on the Panama Papers case in July 2017.

A five-member bench — headed by then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar — unanimously disqualified Nawaz Sharif for failing to disclose his non-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nomination papers for the 2013 general election, stating that this meant he was not ‘honest’ and ‘truthful’, as per the Constitution.

Responding to a question, Asif confirmed that he arrived in London to meet the PML-N supremo. To another question about his hard-hitting May 2 speech in the National Assembly, the minister said that it was his duty to defend parliament.

“The best solution to the crisis is that all the institutions should work within the ambit of the Constitution,” he added.

Those judges who sentenced Nawaz would be called into the parliament’s dock, reiterated the minister.

Judiciary's accountability sought

On May 2, Asif said that the judiciary should be made accountable for former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's case and disqualifying two ex-chief executives — Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani — from holding public office.

He blasted the judiciary while addressing the National Assembly session amid fears of contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the backdrop of ongoing tension between the government and judiciary over multiple issues — including the date of holding the election.

Asif's statement came hours after CJP Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the political parties wanted to “pick and choose" the bench for "desired judgements". 

Earlier today, the chief justice also said that it is not their choice but a duty to ensure polls within 90 days following the dissolution of the legislature since it is mandated by the Constitution.