Minister for Population Welfare, Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain on Wednesday said the judicial activism was causing hurdles in the smooth transition to democracy. Speaking in a PTV programme, he said that judiciary being a pillar of state, was trying to dominate the executive and legislature.
He said terrorism incidents were occurring in all parts of the country and the judiciary was somehow putting curbs on the measures taken by the administration to control this menace. Shahbaz said that in 1999 the Supreme Court had validated President Musharraf's take over and allowed him to make certain amendments in the Constitution.
After completion of three years period, President Musharraf conducted local bodies election which were followed by Presidential election through referendum, he said. He said the general elections were held in 2002 for all the parliamentary forums and President got the vote of confidence.
On November 2004, the 17th amendment was made in Constitution, which allowed President Musharraf to get elected for another term by the same assemblies, the minister said.
He said that phase by phase process of moving towards democracy was in progress but some judicial steps affected this process. He said Presidential election were held under the constitutional provisions but announcement of official results was delayed, he said. The President begged 57 percent votes from electoral college including Senate, National Assemblies and all the Provincial Assemblies, the minister said and added there was no ground to stop this constitutional practice.
These were the conditions which led the President to take decision of imposing emergency, he said. To a question he said the emergency will not be hurdle in the process of election rather it will help improve law and order during the electoral campaign.
To another question he said, media's role is not to dictate the people but it should project both sides of the picture and leave the people to make a choice.
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