PPP leader Faisal Raza Abidi. -File Photo

Senator Faisal Raza Abidi on Sunday hurled allegation of prejudice against Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and demanded resignations from him and other judges who were reinstated but had taken an oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), DawnNews reported.

He said that his party would get rid of PCO judges and would present a bill in the parliament to reinstate the 110 judges who had been sacked earlier.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Abidi said that the chief justice should have resigned after his son, Arsalan Iftikhar, was alleged to have indulged in financial impropriety.

He alleged that Chief Justice Iftikhar had directed the Lahore High Court (LHC) to issue a stay order in a case pertaining to the 46 billion rupees of outstanding dues on different cellular companies.

Abidi said his party would “force him out the same way he had been restored as a judge.”

He said the PPP had always respected the courts, adding that, the party's ministers had appeared before the courts and even a PPP prime minister had been sacrificed.

Abidi said “a judicial martial-law has been imposed in the country.”

The senator said his party was being targeted by the court while cases against PPP’s opponents had been granted stay orders.

The PPP senator requested the government to come forward and take steps to restore the parliament's supremacy, adding that, the parliament had the authority of enacting and amending laws.

Abidi said the parliament was supreme and above other institutions. “Parliament is an institution which forms laws and constitutions. No one has the right to criticise its laws,” he said.

He said the courts should have taken action against dictators.

He alleged that Chief Justice House Islamabad had been misused for commercial purposes of Arsalan Iftikhar.

The senator showed bank account statements of Arsalan Iftikhar and raised questions about the legitimacy of his assets. He also showed that the billing address mentioned was that of the Chief Justice House in Islamabad.

Abidi said he would soon go to London to collect evidence against Arsalan Iftikhar and would call another press conference after doing so in 10 days.

Opinion

Editorial

By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...
Not without reform
Updated 22 Apr, 2024

Not without reform

The problem with us is that our ruling elite is still trying to find a way around the tough reforms that will hit their privileges.
Raisi’s visit
22 Apr, 2024

Raisi’s visit

IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi, who begins his three-day trip to Pakistan today, will be visiting the country ...
Janus-faced
22 Apr, 2024

Janus-faced

THE US has done it again. While officially insisting it is committed to a peaceful resolution to the...