KARACHI: In light of extraordinary relief extended to Imran Khan by the Supreme Court, Foreign Minister and chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday asked the judiciary to refrain from becoming ‘Tiger Force’ — a reference to the youth wing of Imran Khan’s PTI, and warned that the PPP would “snatch justice if it is not served”.

While addressing a rally at I.I. Chundrigar Road to celebrate the PPP’s success in the recent local elections in Karachi and other parts of Sindh, the PPP chairman warned the growing interference of judiciary in political affairs could lead to call from his PPP to mark the death anniversaries of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto inside the Supreme Court.

The PPP chairman asked the judges to do “justice” and “not politics”, recalling the recent history of a “highly politicised” judiciary which was allegedly part of rigging in the previous two general elections.

Says if justice is not served, then PPP will ‘snatch’ it

Blaming the judiciary for “becoming highly politicised again” before the next general elections, he warned that the PPP would not tolerate any rigging by the judiciary or establishment in the next polls.

The PPP chairman also maintained the same critical and harsh tone against the PTI and called it a “political terrorist.”

He targeted both the judiciary and the PTI, questioning the standard of justice set by the apex court’s judges for the opposition party and its founder.

“When they [judiciary] are seeing that the fresh elections are approaching, they are becoming overly politicised again,” he said.

“But this is my message: We have tolerated enough but we are not going to tolerate any rigging this time whether it is from the judiciary or the establishment. If the judiciary continues to show itself overly politicised, the PPP will reject such elections.

“And this time we won’t restrict ourselves to traditional protest. If justice is not served, we would snatch it. Be a judge, don’t be a politician.”

In over an hour-long furious speech, the PPP chairman referred to the series of events both at political and judicial fronts over the past few days and questioned the standard of trial against former prime minister, who was granted a blanket relief from courts that not only barred the authorities from arresting him but also stayed his trial in the Toshakhana case until the second week of June.

“Whether it is a judiciary or any other institution, it should not become the tiger force of Imran Khan,” he said.

“Then allow us as well. How would you [judiciary] react if we give a call to mark the April 4 [death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto] rally inside the courtroom of the chief justice? What would you say if we decide to mark the next death anniversary of BB [Benazir Bhutto] Shaheed [on Dec 27] inside Court No 1?”

G-20 Summit in held Kashmir

Towards the end of his address, the minister warned that India, which is planning to host the G-20 Summit in occupied Kashmir later this month, the country would violate international law, UN resolution, and bilateral and international agreements.

“If they [India] insist on hosting this summit in Srinagar defying all international laws, your foreign minister would be in Azad Kashmir among the people of Kashmir to counter their every lie and expose their false narrative and propaganda,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2023