LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan has alleged that certain judges are urging a political party to prepare for upcoming elections. He expressed concerns from the ruling PML-N that the Supreme Court, under Justice Qazi Faez Isa, may nullify the vote from February 8.
Speaking at a press conference at the old assembly building on Monday, Khan claimed to have documentation and verdicts indicating that a specific political party had benefited in the past due to judicial interventions.
“I possess evidence regarding the suspension of certain constitutional articles to favor this party,” he stated.
Khan referenced the July 12 Supreme Court ruling on reserved seats, criticizing it for undermining the Election Commission’s decision to withhold an electoral symbol from a party that had not conducted intra-party elections for four years. He argued that this decision was based on assumptions rather than solid evidence.
Acknowledging that judicial politics has been a historical issue, he called for an end to such practices, regardless of whether the beneficiaries are allies or opponents.
He pointed out perceived biases in the courts led by former Chief Justices Umar Ata Bandial and Saqib Nisar, where a specific five-member bench seemed to handle all significant cases.
When asked about government actions against the PTI, Khan expressed dissatisfaction, suggesting that had he been in power, he would have pursued legal action against former Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri and applied sedition charges against ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan and former President Arif Alvi for dissolving the National Assembly during a pending no-confidence motion.
Khan also criticized the PTI’s current protests, linking them to a foreign agenda and recalling similar protests in 2014 when the Chinese President was visiting. He questioned the legitimacy of a province launching an assault on the federal capital with police and cranes.
Lastly, he expressed frustration over being required to hold assembly sessions every 14 days at the opposition’s request, often focusing solely on the arrests of its members. While he acknowledged the state’s right to act against any member involved in lawlessness, he emphasized that issuing production orders for jailed MPs is a right of their constituents.
