LAHORE - PML-Q president Chaudhary Shujat Hussain has claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is backing his party leaders for launching attacks on the judiciary and the joint investigation team probing the Panama leak case against Sharif family.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Shujaat said it was the PM himself who had planned attack on the Supreme Court when Sajjad Ali Shah was the chief justice. Prior to the attack, he claimed, Sharif had tapped all private telephonic conversation of the former chief justice and had made consultation with different party men including Gohar Ayub that how to teach a lesson to “defiant” Shah.

“Those who had attacked on the apex court were given meal at Punjab House,” he added.

Shujaat, who had been a close aide of PM Nawaz Sharif in the past, said he and the then law minister Khalid Anwar were the witnesses that the premier had tapped telephonic conversation of Sajjad Ali Shah’s bedroom phone. However, he added, later Nawaz Sharif got worried on receiving information that Justice Sajjad Ali Shah knew about his phone tapping and was going to address a press conference.

“Then, we went to Shah’s residence to pacify him. Sajjad agreed not to hold press conference but he showed them recording device,” added Shujat.

"I will say sorry and accept my fault if one of the credible lawyers of the country says the incident of phone tapping of former chief justice by Nawaz Sharif had not happened,” he also stated.

The PML-Q leader recalled that Nawaz Sharif was “firm” to teach lesson to Sajjad and orchestrated the attack on the top judiciary through his brother Shehbaz Sharif when all attempts to “teach lesson to Shah” were failed.

MNAs Mian Munir and Tariq Aziz were then made scapegoats on the SC attack episode, just like Nehal Hashmi who was picked today to perform the same task, he asserted.

Shujaat further claimed that it was Nawaz Sharif who planned attack on Bahawalpur Bench of High Court in 1997. Two legislators, Afzil Gill and Samiullah, were given responsibility to attack on Justice Bokhari and both were also made scapegoats, he told the media.

“[The] Sharif family, particularly Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, have always been mentally working against the courts.

“But the old days are long gone and now the opposition and media would not let anyone to malign the independent judiciary.”

To a question, the senior politician predicted that a sacrifice would be made before Eid-ul-fitr in Panama case. He made no hesitation in saying that it was Imran Khan who made relentless efforts to expose ‘corruption’ of the Sharifs.

“The whole credit goes to PTI chairman of all Panama leak episode,” he declared.

Then, he added, Sirajul Haq and Sheikh Rashid were the persons who fought hard against the incumbant rulers’ corruption. Shujaat said he had a formula to unite opposition parties and would reveal it after final verdict on Panama case.

To another question referring Nawaz Sharif’s son statement about accountability of Sharif family, the PML-Q head said that he had never seen in his political career that any person of Sharif family went to jail after facing strict accountability.

OUR STAFF REPORTER