He states that those individuals responsible for inflicting economic hardship on the people of Pakistan will be held accountable.
In Islamabad, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has advised the PMLN to refrain from pursuing actions against former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid, urging them not to engage in such confrontations.
These remarks from the senior PPP leader follow PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif’s recent strong statement, in which he held the two officials responsible for his removal from power in 2017 and the ongoing crises in the country.
“(Former) Chief Justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were instruments of the former army chief and his spy chief. Their actions are more significant than a murder offense. Granting them a pardon would be an injustice to the nation. They do not deserve clemency,” Nawaz stated, pledging to hold them accountable.
“These individuals who brought economic hardship to the people of Pakistan will have to face accountability,” he added during a video address from London earlier this month.
Similarly, PMLN leader Rana Sanaullah criticized former generals Bajwa and Hamid earlier this week, branding them “national criminals” and demanding action against them.
“We will bring Gen Pervez Musharraf to justice in the same manner as the PMLN did,” he asserted.
Sanaullah called for a “rigorous accountability” of former generals and judges, emphasizing that it was a party policy statement.
During an interview with a private TV channel on Friday, Khursheed Shah was questioned about Nawaz’s statement, to which he expressed skepticism about the feasibility of the PMLN’s plan to pursue the two former military leaders.
“Has anyone taken action against the individual who was convicted under Article 6 of the Constitution? He was subsequently hospitalized and transferred to Dubai,” Shah noted, referring to the late military dictator Musharraf.
“Let’s refrain from getting entangled in such conflicts,” he advised the PMLN, underscoring that politicians often find themselves caught in such situations. He emphasized the importance of focusing on ensuring fair elections, managing the rising inflation, adhering to the Charter of Democracy, and establishing a tradition of good governance.
He reiterated the PPP’s continued interest in cooperation and institution-building, highlighting that all institutions should prioritize the supremacy of parliament.
“We should avoid emotional outbursts or resorting to political mudslinging,” he added.
Regarding the PPP’s alleged pressure to join the former ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement, he revealed, “Initially, we proposed that we would support the no-confidence motion against ex-PM Imran Khan but would not join the government afterward. However, the then-opposition conveyed that if we didn’t become part of the government, they wouldn’t proceed with the vote of no-confidence.”
Addressing the PPP’s demand for a level playing field in elections from the PMLN, Shah pointed out that some individuals associated with Nawaz’s party were part of the current caretaker government, hence the basis for their demand.
He also suggested that it appeared the “de facto prime minister” was the secretary of the Establishment Division, rather than the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. “The one who runs the Establishment Division, he is the prime minister.” When asked whether it was accurate that the announcement of Kakar’s appointment as interim PM was made after then-PM Shehbaz and former opposition leader Raja Riaz received slips with the caretaker premier’s name written on them, he confirmed this impression.
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