Monday, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz incessantly criticized the Supreme Court and its judges. While addressing a joint press conference, Maryam Nawaz said that “bench-fixing” is a crime similar to “match-fixing” and suo motu notice should be taken over it.
Flanked by several leaders of the coalition government and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), including Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, Maryam criticized the country’s justice system and said that whenever a petition is filed in a court of law, people already know which bench will be formed to hear that.
“Institutions are insulted from within, not outside. One wrong decision blows up an entire case. Criticism isn’t needed where the right decisions are taken,” Maryam Nawaz said.
Read more: Maryam Nawaz, Hina Parvez mocked after PMLN’s defeat
Recalling past events, she said that as soon as Hamza Shahbaz was elected as the chief minister of Punjab, the PTI immediately approached the apex court.
"Bench fixing is a crime". @MaryamNSharif#ہم_خیال_نہیں_فل_کورٹ pic.twitter.com/g328tNe9g7
— PMLN (@pmln_org) July 25, 2022
Why are only one or two judges who have always been anti-PMLN, why do they always sit in the benches? Like there is match fixing, there is also bench fixing, says Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
— Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) July 25, 2022
بلیک لاء ڈکشنری اور ٹرسٹی وزیر اعلی یہ کدھر سے نئے اور منفرد آئیڈیاز لے آتے ہیں ؟ کبھی سنا ہے آپ نے کہ کوئی ٹرسٹی وزیراعلی ہو ؟ ترازو تو ٹھیک کریں ۔ مریم نواز شریف
— Hassan Ayub Khan (@HassanAyub82) July 25, 2022
Similarly, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto too hit out at the Supreme Court demanding a full bench while claiming that three people cannot decide the fate of the country.
“This cannot happen that three people decide the fate of this country. Three people cannot decide on whether this country will run on a democratic, elected or selective system,” he said.
Important to note that the hard-hitting press conference by PDM comes ahead of the significant Supreme Court hearing on Pervez Elahi’s plea challenging Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari’s ruling which called the recent re-election for the Punjab chief minister in favor of Hamza Shahbaz.
PTI’s reaction
Needless to say, Maryam Nawaz’s harsh statements are making waves on social media and are garnering much criticism, especially from PTI leaders.
“As of yesterday, threats were made to the establishment. Today, the guns of the band of thieves were directed towards the judiciary, the same judiciary which sent out the only criminal in the history of Pakistan. The daughter of the accused was granted bail. Today, the same criminal who was on bail is demanding the judiciary do more,” former SAPM Dr. Shahbaz Gill tweeted.
کل تک اسٹیبلشمنٹ کو دھمکیاں دی گئیں
آج چوروں کے ٹولے کی توپوں کا رخ عدلیہ کی جانب تھاوہی عدلیہ جس نے پاکستانی تاریخ کے واحد مجرم کو باہر بھیجا
اسی مفرور اشتہاری مجرم کی تیمارداری کے نام پر مجرمہ بیٹی کو ضمانت دی
آج وہی ضمانت پر رہا مجرمہ عدلیہ سے ڈو مور کا مطالبہ کر رہی ہے— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) July 25, 2022
Meanwhile, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry called out Maryam Nawaz for not talking about the crimes her father committed.
مریم نواز اپنے والد کا پچاس روپے کے اسٹامپ پیپر پر باہر جانے کا فیصلہ اور اپنا ضمانت کا فیصلہ ابھی تک Quote نہیں کیا؟
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 25, 2022
“In what capacity is the convicted Maryam Safdar attacking the judiciary by holding a press conference in the auditorium of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. People’s tax money is being used for theft and exploitation,” PTI leader Farrukh Habib tweeted.
کس حیثیت سے سزا یافتہ مریم صفدر پرائم منسٹر سیکریٹریٹ کے آڈیٹوریم میں پریس کانفرنس کرکے عدلیہ پر حملہ کر رہی ہے۔ چوری اور سینہ زوری کرنے کے لئے عوام کے ٹیکس کا پیسہ استعمال کیا جارہا ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/KnyAdflx7D
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) July 25, 2022