Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday demanded resignation of Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq after it was reported that he (Sadiq) has filed a reference against Justice Asif Saeed Khosa in Supreme Judicial Council, alleging that the judge had violated the sanctity of the Speaker's office. However, the NA Speaker later rejected the reports that he had filed any complaint with SJC against the apex court judge, but PTI chairman, who is a member of the lower house, contended that Sadiq does not 'fit to hold the office of NA Speaker.'
It is yet to be confirmed whether NA Speaker's 'reference' against Justice Asif Saeed Khosa is real or planted but it took the social media with a storm. Khan, who is a staunch critic of the Speaker, also took to Twitter and said: "Ayaz Sadiq's reference against Justice Khosa has exposed his mala fide intent of going all out simply to protect Nawaz Sharif's corruption."
He continued that Ayaz's comment that his office [National Assembly Secretariat] is not an investigative agency begs the question how he forwarded reference against him and Jahangir Khan Tareen while rejecting a similar reference against his boss Nawaz Sharif.
"Ayaz Sadiq had revealed his bias earlier and now it is clear that he is not fit to occupy the office of Speaker National Assembly. He must resign immediately," Khan reacted to the reference against Justice Khosa which NA Speaker's office rejected later. The interesting development was that both NA Speaker and Attorney General for Pakistan earlier refused to comment on the matter, the latter said that he had no knowledge of such a complaint being filed while the former stated that no complaint had been filed "yet".
But, soon the lawyers' bodies and political parties warned the NA Speaker to be ready to face the music, saying any move against the apex court judges will be dealt with an iron hand. A National Assembly spokesman denied that the Speaker had ever filed a reference and asked that Sadiq be left out of speculations regarding the whole incident. The leaders of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are quite perturbed after the Panama Leaks verdict which became the basis for disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister.