LAHORE - Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday took strong exception to the use of harsh language by the PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif against the judiciary, stating that the PML-N leader had every right to criticise the court decisions but not in a manner which ridicules the highest office of justice.
Addressing a news conference after chairing a party meeting here, the PPP leader said that Nawaz Sharif had used the word, “Sikha Shahi” for the Supreme Court which was highly objectionable.
He was of the view that court should take notice of such a name calling by the former prime minister.
“What the court is waiting for”, he asked, adding, that there could not be a greater contempt of court than the use of such a derogatory term for the court.
He warned that if the court did not take notice of it, it would be like giving a license to everybody in the street to use such a language against the judiciary.
He viewed that PPP also had reservations on court decisions delivered against its leadership in the past, but it never went out of bounds in its criticism of the judiciary.
Kaira said that PPP will not support any anti-judiciary movement by the PML-N which he believed was assuming the role of the Opposition while also being in the government. Nonetheless, Kaira also criticised the judiciary for being soft on the Sharifs and the PTI chief while getting hard on the PPP leaders.
He said that ex-Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was disqualified on charges of contempt of court for not obeying a court order which was, infact, unconstitutional.
He believed that Supreme Court had given a big relief to the Sharif family and the PTI chief in its decisions on Hudaibia and foreign funding cases respectively.
Kaira stressed the need for judicial reforms, stating that judiciary also needed to have some sole-searching to maintain its credentials of a non-controversial institution.
Replying to a question, the PPP leader said his party would support the PAT chief in his call for a peaceful protest for acceptance of his just demands.
Answering another question, he said that PPP had no love lost for the PTI to make election alliance with this party.