IN the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Asghar Khan’s petition filed in 1996, the PPP has emerged as the winner for it has all along been accusing that the establishment did not allow the party to complete its constitutional term in office.

It also claimed that judiciary was found wanting in providing relief when its successive governments were sacked unconstitutionally.

The judgment of the court has exposed the intrigue and conspiracies hatched by government functionary to block the way of one political party and paved the way for the other group to seize power.

The court also asked the government to take quick action against all those found guilty of offence and initiate proceedings under the law against politicians involved in money transaction for ulterior motives. Incidentally, names of the recipients of money have not been disclosed.

However, the short order of the court with long and deeper consequences for future political landscape of Pakistan is laudable.

Since the petition related to the formation of Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) to sabotage transparent election in 1990, most of the politicians – protégés of late Gen Ziaul Haq who held the power from 1980 to 1985 and were part of great game of forming IJI – escaped from the grip of the Supreme Court judgment.

According to a French proverb ‘Whosoever profits from a crime is guilty of it (crime)’.

Perhaps, it would be more productive for democracy if the scope of inquiry was stretched to the 1985 polls that were held on a non-party basis and laid foundations for propelled rigging of and tampering with the electoral process.

In the eyes of the law, those who distributed and who received illegal money in violation of the Constitution are equally guilty.

Therefore, the prime minister needs to act promptly against all culprits irrespective of party affiliations in the light of the apex court, rather than asking the recipients of money to apologise to the nation.

RAJA SHAFAATULLAH Islamabad