ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi should explain his meeting with Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar.

In reply to a question, before attending accountability court proceedings, about Justice Nisar’s reported remarks that a supplicant had knocked at the door of the apex court, the former prime minister said it would be better if Mr Abbasi explained the whole context.

Asked if PM Abbasi had informed him prior to the meeting or whether it was a solo flight, Mr Sharif said it was not in his knowledge, but “I will soon discuss this issue in the upcoming meeting with the prime minister”.

Read: PM-CJP meeting was last-ditch attempt to save Nawaz, says Bilawal

About the chief justice’s remarks, the PML-N supreme leader said he had gone through a few sentences. “Such words should not have been used. Before that Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed had remarked that Nawaz Sharif should be know that there is much space in Adiala jail. I would say that the superior court judges should not use such words,” he added.

SC official clarifies Justice Nisar never used word ‘Faryadi’ for Mr Abbasi

Hours later, Supreme Court official Shahid Hussian Kamboyo clarified that attribution of the word (supplicant) to the chief justice was “completely wrong and malicious”.

The CJP held the prime minister in high esteem, being the head of the government, and “has never used the word ‘Faryadi’ for him”, he said, adding that any misgivings in this regard should, therefore, be put to rest.

Mr Sharif rejected a perception that he had never been comfortable while dealing with institutions and said he always remained within his constitutional limits and never tried to trespass on them. “All institutions should learn to remain within their constitutional jurisdiction. Within the dictates of the Constitution and law, all institutions should respect each other and move towards synchronisation.”

In reply to a question about certain ‘doctrine’, Mr Sharif said he believed in one narrative. “My narrative came from the Constitution and the law and my narrative will not suffer any setback since it is about the Constitution. I am striving for the sanctity of the vote.”

He said that in the past people were not aware of what was written in the Constitution. “Now our message has reached every household that the Constitution talks about the sanctity of the vote. Now people are more aware and raising their voice for the sanctity of the vote.”

Mr Sharif said that in Pakistan assemblies and prime ministers had never been allowed to complete their tenures, adding that the people who allowed them to be used as stooges as well as those who used them should review their conduct.

He said everybody completed their tenure, except the elected prime ministers, adding that there were some who even got extension and also completed their extended tenure.

Mr Sharif claimed that the National Accountability Bureau had not proved corruption of even a single penny against him. He said that unlike mega corruption cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and others, the references filed against him related to his own family businesses and assets that were due to the “income of our family since 1937”.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2018