— Maryam accuses judges of playing significant role in ‘destruction’ of Pakistan
— PDM wants to restore the honour, the dignity of the top court: Fazl
ISLAMABAD: At a protest sit-in outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan here on Monday, the top leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) targeted the superior judiciary for what it called the weakening of the democratic order in the country.
In a passionate address, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz accused judges of playing a significant role in the destruction of Pakistan.
She expressed her concerns regarding the state of the country and emphasised the importance of strengthening democracy within the framework of the Constitution.
Speaking to a massive crowd gathered to protest against the behaviour of judges of the superior judiciary especially Chief Justice Umra Ata Bandial, Maryam called attention to what she referred to as the “talk of the facilitators of Imran Khan”.
She arrived at the venue of the protest demonstration alongside Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman.
She asserted that legislation should remain the responsibility of the Parliament, stating, “It is not your (judges’) responsibility to stop it.” By emphasising the role of the elected representatives, the PML-N leader highlighted the need for a robust democratic process.
Showing her respect for the Supreme Court and the Constitution, she criticised the tarnished image of the revered institution, attributing the blame to what she termed as “Imrandari”. “This building was tarnished not by ‘Imandari but by Imrandari’, she stated, emphasising her disappointment with the current state of affairs.
Maryam also expressed her reluctance to protest at the Supreme Court, advocating for democracy to be strengthened through the proper functioning of the institution. She emphasised the importance of preserving the integrity of the building and called for the restoration of democratic values.
Marayma stated that her party respects Pakistan’s law and Constitution, but this building, the Supreme Court, was giving verdicts which were causing the country’s destruction.
She pointed out that the top court should have given justice to the oppressed and strengthened Parliament, but instead, it disqualified a prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who was elected by the people.
She accused it of “murdering” justice, and said that it gave its certification to all the martial laws that were imposed in Pakistan.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the ruling PDM wanted to restore the honour and dignity of the top court.
He said the “historic gathering” outside the Supreme Court reflected that the country’s decisions should be made by the people.
He also vowed to protect the Supreme Court building, saying no one can dare to cause harm to the top court in the presence of the PDM’s protesters.
“We believe in respecting the judiciary. We have held a people’s court in Islamabad,” he remarked.
Fazl also blamed the PTI chief Imran Khan’s decision to dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies for the prevailing crisis in the country.
PDM calls off daylong sit-in
After dawn to dusk “peaceful dharna”, the ruling PDM called off the sit-in staged outside the Supreme Court to protest against the judiciary for “facilitating” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The announcement was made by PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) while addressing a large number of participants of the sit-in outside the apex court in the federal capital.
The multi-party protesters, including workers and supporters of the JUI-F, from different areas of the country converged on Islamabad with many making an entrance into the Red Zone, despite Section 144 still in effect the capital city.
Maulana Fazl, on Friday, announced to stage the sit-in outside the Supreme Court against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial for facilitating Khan.
Despite the federal government’s request to change the venue of the sit-in amid security concerns, the PDM — a multi-party ruling alliance — chief had refused to budge on his decision and organised a protest demonstration of thousands of workers outside the top court.
Police stand idle as militia penetrates Red Zone
Hordes of stick-wielding members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) component parties breached the entrance of the Red Zone neighbourhood in Islamabad — home to many Western embassies, the Supreme Court and government ministries — to stage a “peaceful” sit-in outside the apex judicial forum while the policemen become mute spectators.
Last week, after the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Imran Khan’s arrest was unlawful, the ruling coalition announced a “peaceful” sit-in outside the court on Monday (today) to protest Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s “facilitation” and “VIP protocol” for former prime minister.
Addressing a news conference where he was flanked by leaders of all component parties, Fazl ur-Rahman, who heads the coalition, accused the Supreme Court of risking the Constitution, law and all else for the sake of the chairman of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party.
Footage broadcast on TV and shared on the internet showed uniformed members of Ansar ul-Islam, the militant wing of the radical Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, breaching the gate of the Red Zone as police watched on.
The moment when security of the Red Zone was breached by JUI-F zealots as the police looked on. pic.twitter.com/vQzFMZeEwg
— Riaz ul Haq (@Riazhaq) May 15, 2023
As soon as the gates opened, thousands of armed protesters rushed inside, the media reported.
Supporters and workers of JUI-F, who form the majority of the protesters, arrived in the capital early Sunday. Despite the continued enforcement of Section 144 in the capital, they managed to enter the Red Zone unchallenged, gaining access to the restricted neighbourhood.
The protest is scheduled between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm, when a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court will be hearing a petition by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to review its previous order regarding the scheduling of elections for the Punjab Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad police tweeted that although protesters entered the Red Zone, the “situation is peaceful”. It further asked the public to remain peaceful and cooperate with the police.
In another tweet, the police warned members of the public that there are “risks of terrorism” and asked them to stay away from places where crowds have gathered.
