ISLAMABAD: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi on Tuesday urged state institutions to work within their constitutional domains and refrain from interfering in one another’s business.

Speaking at the “Meet the Press” programme of the National Press Club, Mr Hashmi said that politicians, generals and judges had not fulfilled their duties; that was why the country was facing multiple crises.

“Our institutions have lost their own mandate by crossing their constitutional limits and interfering in others’ business,” he said.

Mr Hashmi was of the view that there was no democracy in the country but a “judicial martial law” in which the Supreme Court disqualified everyone [politicians] but not those who had subjugated the Constitution.

Mr Hashmi said former dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf expressed gratitude to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on his return from the US for saving the military on the Kargil front, but later he cursed Mr Sharif for what he called “losing an already won battle on the negotiating table”.

He said the country’s history witnessed that the courts disqualified 70 politicians while former prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra retained his status through a single order.

“Today retired generals have become analysts and comment on every issue for defending their successors,” said Mr Hashmi.

He maintained that he was not against any institution or individual, and like other people of the country he had a great respect for the armed forces personnel who were defending the country’s borders.

Responding to a question, the former MNA said a report discussed in the parliament during Musharraf’s era revealed that the military was the most corrupt institution followed by judges and bureaucrats while politicians were on the fourth position. “Generals and judges have violated the Constitution time and again while politicians too did not give due importance and respect to it,” he regretted.

Mr Hashmi claimed that neither the US nor Pakistani military establishment was in favour of nuclear tests conducted by the PML-N regime in the late 90s. “At that time, US officials were visiting the country frequently but Nawaz Sharif did not entertain them whereas generals of that period were also not in favour of nuclear tests,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017