Maryam Nawaz demands resignation of Pakistan chief justice over Imran Khan’s release

PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday demanded the resignation of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

And blamed him for the “anarchy” and “crisis” in Pakistan as she joined the ruling coalition’s sit-in outside the Supreme Court to protest some of the recent rulings which they said provided blanket relief to former prime minister Imran Khan.

Addressing a gathering of protesters outside the Supreme Court here, Maryam, the daughter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, accused the apex court of imposing a “judicial martial law” in the country.

She said that “free and fair elections are not possible until Umar Ata Bandial remains the country’s top judge” and that polls will be held at its scheduled time “after you (Bandial) step down”.

Accompanied by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders of the multi-party alliance, the 49-year-old PML-N leader said: “All of you should be aware that the anarchy [â€æ] and crisis that has taken over the country today, the place of its genesis was not Zaman Park as much as Umar Ata Bandial’s post.”

“Today, when the army is standing with the democracy and Constitution of Pakistan â€æ the fifth martial law in Pakistan â€æ judicial martial law has been imposed from this building,” she said, apparently referring to some of the rulings from the apex court.

MARYAM SHARIF VS IMRAN KHAN

Maryam accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan of doing what “terrorists or Pakistan’s enemies could not do”.

“He and his wife stole the public’s money and then bought plots from this money,” Maryam Nawaz said, adding that Khan, 70, “trained” his “minions” at Zaman Park and set fire to the Jinnah House.

“Elected prime ministers are sent packing and some are hanged â€æ and [these decisions] are stamped here,” she said, lambasting the apex court over its failure in “delivering justice to the oppressed, bringing the powerful under the law and strengthening democracy”.

“But the facilitators [â€æ] sitting in this building are murdering justice,” she said, referring to the top judge.

Hundreds of protesters belonging to the PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), earlier in the day entered the Red Zone despite Section 144 still in effect in the federal capital and set up a stage in front of the Supreme Court.

Rehman, also the chief of PDM — a ruling alliance of 13 political parties, had on Friday announced to stage the sit-in outside the Supreme Court against Chief Justice Bandial for facilitating Khan.

DEMAND FOR PAK CHIEF JUSTICE’S RESIGNATION

Addressing the participants, Rehman accused Chief Justice Bandial of violating the rules and regulation of the top court. “I am challenging â€æ chief justice sahib, in this one month you have done misconduct of this court.”

He added: “You and your companions sitting on these seats â€æ we won’t allow you to disrespect or abuse the nation or the Parliament.”

In the same breath, he vowed to protect the apex court building with his life, but at the same time contended that he won’t let “even a single judge harm its sanctity”. He alleged that verdicts were being engineered and his party would allow this to happen.

He also said that all institutions should fulfil their constitutional responsibilities by working within their boundaries and warned the judiciary against indulging in politics.

Several other leaders from smaller political parties also addressed the gathering and accused the chief justice of giving undue favour to Khan.

IMRAN KHAN’S RELEASE

The allegations were levelled following the release of Khan by a three-member apx court bench headed by Chief Justice Bandial which angered the government and its allies and they announced to register their protest against the decision.

It was believed that demonstrators would leave the venue after a token protest but the JUI-F, which is one of the largest components of PDM, converted the protest into a “sit-in”.

“The management committee has finalised arrangements for the protest-sit-in outside the Supreme Court [in] Islamabad. The management committee has begun arrangements for converting the protest into a sit-in,” the JUI-F tweeted.

The party also said it would set up tents and build washrooms at the venue.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was earlier scheduled to join the protest, has been advised against it by senior members of his party. PPP leader Nisar Khoro was, however, seen standing alongside PDM leadership on the stage.

Meanwhile, Khan said that on the one hand, PDM “goons” facilitated by security agencies were trying to “take over” the Supreme Court and subverting the Constitution while on the other hand, the government was clamping down on PTI workers with at least 7,000 arrested and dozens of unarmed protestors killed.

IMRAN KHAN CALLS FOR PROTESTS

The cricketer-turned-politician, who has a massive following in Pakistan, urged all citizens to be ready for peaceful protests, citing that it would be the end of Pakistan’s dream once the Constitution and Supreme Court were destroyed.

“So without any investigation into who was responsible for arson on a government building or dozens of deaths of unarmed protesters by bullet wounds, around 7000 PTI workers, leadership and our women have been jailed with plans to ban the largest and only federal party in Pak,” Khan tweeted.

“Meanwhile, these goons are being facilitated by our security agencies to take over the SC and subvert the constitution. All citizens be ready for peaceful protests as once the constitution and Supreme Court are destroyed, it is the end of the Pak dream.” he wrote.

The PDM-led protest is a sign of escalating tensions between the top judiciary and the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who replaced Khan after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022.

Khan has said the JUI-F “drama” that is being done outside the apex court is only for one purpose — to overawe the Chief Justice so that he does not give a verdict according to the Constitution.