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Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah on Friday criticised the "interference of judiciary" in matters which he categorised as "civil administrative issues".
Talking to DawnNews the PPP leader also levelled the blame of country's dismal condition on ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
When asked to comment on the suo motu notices taken by the chief justice, Shah responded by saying: "It was previously rare to see any judge appear before media. However, now we frequently see them in news just like any politician. They hold media talks and the media is allowed to question them," he maintained.
The PPP leader, however, asked the judiciary to keep taking such notices. "They can always summon the prime minister or the chief minister if an issue is not resolved," he added.
"It does not look good that the chief justice himself is surveying the roads and heaps of garbage," he said, adding that he should appoint a team to carry out such surveys.
He warned that whenever there is an attempt to force a government within a government, the whole system gets disturbed.
When told that the chief justice was taking action only after the institutions repeatedly failed to take action, Shah said, "How has Pakistan been functioning before this? It has been run better than this previously."
"Look at the situation in Sindh. There are two chief ministers, Amir Hani Muslim and Murad Ali Shah."
Shah said that no one is willing to admit that lack of civic planning is the actual cause of Karachi's problems. "A city which has the capacity to house only 8-9 million people, has become home to more than 20 million people. Of course, this will result in civic problems."
The opposition leader went on to say that "trash is not only what you see lying on the roads. What about heaps of files of pending cases lying in cupboards of courts?"
"I am the leader of the opposition. If I don't say these things then who will? It is our job to highlight these issues," he said.
Nawaz Sharif will return, Shah
Khurshid Shah expressed confidence that PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London, will return to Pakistan.
"I have always advised Nawaz that it is the parliament which provided him with this position [premiership]; if he keeps criticising this institution then he will suffer, and that is what has happened."
When asked if he agrees with Nawaz's view that non-democratic forces are being targeted by democratic forces and his apprehensions of the spread of chaos in the coming days, Shah said: "Non-democratic forces get activated when we leave room for them to act. I always talk of the parliament's supremacy.
Regarding his views on the impartiality of institutions, Shah said: "An atmosphere has been created which gives an impression that something is going on behind the scenes. I advise everyone that institutions should operate within their domain."
