LAHORE: Reacting to the alleged audio leak between the former chief justice Saqib Nisar and a PTI lawyer, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Tuesday demanded the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice of this leak.
Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar accompanied by SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan told media on Tuesday that a grave conversation took place [in the audio leak]. “The court should be careful on many issues. Some people are trying to rekindle political issues.
The ignorant people are trying to bring institutions face to face,” he said, adding: “The court was active during the tenure of Saqib Nisar. This trend is extremely dangerous. Saqib Nisar should not be so incautious. A grave conversation between him and a senior lawyer took place.”
He reminded that many controversial decisions were taken during Saqib Nisar’s tenure. A political issue needed not be taken to the court, he added.
“Many questions are arising from the audio leaks,” he stated.
Azam Nazir Tarar said the PML-N believed in the supremacy of law and the constitution and wanted transparency in all matters as it was utmost necessary for ensuring rule of law in the country. He added that peoples’ confidence in the national institutions could be ensured through transparency. “Parliament, being the legislature and supreme institution of the country, was mandated to make legislation as per the constitution,” he said, adding: “The Practice and Procedure Act was passed by the upper and lower houses of the parliament by using its constitutional right, however, a ruling was given to stop the act before its imposition.”
He said the parliament and the political fora were the right place to discuss political matters. As and when the political matters were taken to court, it only harmed the country and the nation, he added.
To a query, Tarar said that an audio leak between former chief justice Saqib Nisar and the PTI lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim had raised questions as various political matters and cases which were in the courts had been discussed in the audio tape. He was of the view that the conversation in the audio leak was aimed to create rifts among the institutions and to further deepen the prevailing crisis.
SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan said on the occasion that interpretation of the constitution was a right and duty of the courts; however, they could not rewrite the constitution. He said various powers were abundantly misused in the courts including the suo moto powers particularly in political matters.
To a query, Malik said the PML-N was never afraid of going into elections; however, it wanted a level playing field for everyone so that no one could raise questions over the conduct of elections and its transparency. He said, a ruling was given for conducting elections in the Punjab province in 90 days, whereas, the matter of elections in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was set aside.
He said sanity should prevail as the parliament was a supreme institution.
Malik demanded forensic audit into the alleged audio tape.
Responding to a query, Azam Nazir said that some elements wanted to see the government in contempt of court, but the government did nothing which came into the purview of contempt of court.
To another query regarding audio leak, he said it was an era of information technology and anything could come out.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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