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- Apr 24, 2007
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Looking for a way out, Mr Sharif?
Special Correspondent
LAHORE: In scenes reminiscent of old Punjabi movies, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif roared into the microphone, Long march, long march, long march. It certainly seemed as if the CM had been possessed by the spirit of the late Sultan Rahi. However, close observers choose to blame a different spirit, The ghost of the infamous Zafar Ali Shah case.
In their opinion, the recent escapade of Mr Shahbaz Sharif should be seen in the context of the tall claims of political piousness he has been making recently while asking others to pay back the money looted from the national exchequer and the judgement of the honourable Supreme Court in 2000. They relate the antics on display from Sharif to the fear that accountability may transform from a one-sided knife being used as a slaughtering tool for the PPP government to a two-edged sword hell bent on across-the-board accountability.
They believe that the threat of a long march issued by Sharif if the government does not reiterate from its position vis-à-vis the appointment of Deedar Shah as chairman of NAB was merely an act out of fear for the familys personal and political future. They say that the government did keep the leader of the opposition in the loop and that the appointment was only made when it was clear that the opposition leader was interested only in using up time before the deadline ran out, with the aim of getting the government into trouble with the Supreme Court.
These legal experts claim that the decision penned down by the full court in Zafar Ali Shah and Others vs Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, chief executive of Pakistan and Others, the honourable court accepted the view of the federation that there was a necessity for the act carried out by the chief executive. They allege that the federation as the respondent provided before the Supreme Court its case substantiating the claims for the necessity of the intervention. The charges presented to the court included amongst others, corruption for which documentary evidence had been provided to the esteemed court.
In that case, the federation as the respondent had held that voluminous records spreading over dozens of paper books has been filed in support of the allegations of corruption and corrupt practices by the former prime minister. Experts allege that amongst the record was the evidence for outstanding liabilities against the Sharif family of Rs 6,146 million, paid for personal utilities and buildings through the national exchequer and illegally gained assets.
In the opinion of legal experts, when the final judgement of the court was passed, the Supreme Court took the evidence into consideration. They say that in their judgement, the honourable court had stated sufficient corroborative and confirmatory material has been produced by the federal government in support of the intervention through extra-constitutional measure. The material consisting of newspaper clippings, writings etc in support of the impugned intervention is relevant and has been taken into consideration as admissible.
The decision was penned by the full SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Irshad Shah, and consisted, amongst its members, the current chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Observers say that the huffing and puffing of Mr Shairf was in effect due to retirement of the current chief justice of LHC, thought of as friendly to the Sharifs and the appointment of a new NAB chairman. They allege that the Sharifs fear that the cases and references against their family quoted in the Zafar Ali Shah case would now be pursued in which case the Sharifs stand to lose a lot of public face due to the claims of holier-than-thou they have been making of late.
Special Correspondent
LAHORE: In scenes reminiscent of old Punjabi movies, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif roared into the microphone, Long march, long march, long march. It certainly seemed as if the CM had been possessed by the spirit of the late Sultan Rahi. However, close observers choose to blame a different spirit, The ghost of the infamous Zafar Ali Shah case.
In their opinion, the recent escapade of Mr Shahbaz Sharif should be seen in the context of the tall claims of political piousness he has been making recently while asking others to pay back the money looted from the national exchequer and the judgement of the honourable Supreme Court in 2000. They relate the antics on display from Sharif to the fear that accountability may transform from a one-sided knife being used as a slaughtering tool for the PPP government to a two-edged sword hell bent on across-the-board accountability.
They believe that the threat of a long march issued by Sharif if the government does not reiterate from its position vis-à-vis the appointment of Deedar Shah as chairman of NAB was merely an act out of fear for the familys personal and political future. They say that the government did keep the leader of the opposition in the loop and that the appointment was only made when it was clear that the opposition leader was interested only in using up time before the deadline ran out, with the aim of getting the government into trouble with the Supreme Court.
These legal experts claim that the decision penned down by the full court in Zafar Ali Shah and Others vs Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, chief executive of Pakistan and Others, the honourable court accepted the view of the federation that there was a necessity for the act carried out by the chief executive. They allege that the federation as the respondent provided before the Supreme Court its case substantiating the claims for the necessity of the intervention. The charges presented to the court included amongst others, corruption for which documentary evidence had been provided to the esteemed court.
In that case, the federation as the respondent had held that voluminous records spreading over dozens of paper books has been filed in support of the allegations of corruption and corrupt practices by the former prime minister. Experts allege that amongst the record was the evidence for outstanding liabilities against the Sharif family of Rs 6,146 million, paid for personal utilities and buildings through the national exchequer and illegally gained assets.
In the opinion of legal experts, when the final judgement of the court was passed, the Supreme Court took the evidence into consideration. They say that in their judgement, the honourable court had stated sufficient corroborative and confirmatory material has been produced by the federal government in support of the intervention through extra-constitutional measure. The material consisting of newspaper clippings, writings etc in support of the impugned intervention is relevant and has been taken into consideration as admissible.
The decision was penned by the full SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Irshad Shah, and consisted, amongst its members, the current chief justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Observers say that the huffing and puffing of Mr Shairf was in effect due to retirement of the current chief justice of LHC, thought of as friendly to the Sharifs and the appointment of a new NAB chairman. They allege that the Sharifs fear that the cases and references against their family quoted in the Zafar Ali Shah case would now be pursued in which case the Sharifs stand to lose a lot of public face due to the claims of holier-than-thou they have been making of late.
