LAHORE: PTI Chair­man Imran Khan has said PML-N is trying to create a 1997-like situation when its workers attacked the Supreme Court to pressurise the then chief justice Sajjad Ali Shah hearing a contempt petition.

In a tweet on Friday, the ex-premier said the PML-N is targeting the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) exactly as it targeted the then CJP in 1997 because it is scared of elections.

It was for this reason that he wanted people to get ready for streets protests to protect democracy and rule of law, he said, urging legal fraternity in particular to play their part as they did in 2007 for the protection of the Constitution.

Mr Khan also wrote he was ready to hold talks with the parties, which were ready to oppose the “conspiracy” against the constitution and court.

Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry while responding to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s media talk in London during which he demanded Supreme Court’s full court to hear the poll delay case, said the nation would never allow a “convict and fugitive of law” to dictate the top court.

He said elections were a constitutional demand and the nation woud not accept any attempt to delay the polls.

Before making any statement on the issue, he said, it would be better for Mr Sharif to realise that the present situation is not like the one in 1997.

He reminded Nawaz Sharif that the current government headed by his brother Shehbaz Sharif had come into existence due to the Supreme Court suo motu power that he was opposing tooth and nail.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2023