While addressing an anti-democratic public gathering in Taxila, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif  unseccessfully tried to justify his anti-democratic movement, when he said “This is a war to save the Supreme Court,”. His past track record shows that he is not saviour of Supreme Court and constitution of Pakistan. Pages from history reveals Nawaz sharif’s love with constitution and supreme court. On november 28, 1997. Pakistan grappled with its worst-ever constitutional crisis when an unruly mob stormed into the supreme court, forcing Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to adjourn the contempt of court case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Hundreds of Pakistan Muslim League supporters and members of its youth wing, the Muslim Students Front (MSF), breached the police cordon around the courthouse when defence lawyer was arguing his case. A journalist rushed into the courtroom and warned the bench of an impending attack. Whereupon, the chief justice got up abruptly, thanked defence lawyer and adjourned the hearing. While judicial members left the courtroom soon after, the mob entered it shouting slogans, and damaged furniture. The unruly mob, led by ruling party members from Punjab and nawaz sharif’s political secretary, chanted slogans against the chief justice. One MNA of PML-N threw and broke
the portrait of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The mob also beat up opposition party legislator.

After this tragic incident, country faced serious judicial and constitutional crisis. He kept instigating his men to violate the sanctity of Supreme court and constitution of Pakistan. He did it again and again. He abused his powers and eventually he sabotaged democratic process and his actions invited military to play its unconstitional role. Yet, again, He is inciting his party workers to derail demoracy of Pakistan. Every honest pakistani never expects good from him. People of Pakistan are well aware that Nawaz sharif is going to attack sanctity of parliament, constitution of Pakistan and Supreme court. Yes , Supreme court! Because detailed judgement of supreme court is yet to out. The ruling said that Gilani was guilty of contempt but would serve a sentence only “until the rising of the court,” or by the time the judges left the chamber. That happened about three minutes after the verdict was handed down.

PM’s lawyer is of the view that he will appeal the verdict. Some way Gilani got convicted to uphlod constitution. Regarding the executive and the judiciary, the Constitution of Pakistan (1973) has described a system of trichotomy of power; the constitution assigns the Supreme Court a unique responsibility of
maintaining harmony and balance between the three pillars of the state, namely the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The idea is to ensure that the state organs perform their respective functions within the stipulated limits and constraints. As a guardian of the constitution, the court is required to “preserve, protect and defend” this document.

Executive went all out to defend the system of trichotomy of power envisaged in the constitution of Pakistan. Even the chief executive of our country, the prime minister of Pakistan, appeared thrice in the Supreme Court for the sake of defending democracy in Pakistan. Given that the NRO beneficiaries are 8,041, so far, only one person who is the president of Pakistan has been targeted and the remaining 8,040 people are exempted from accountability. As far as the president of Pakistan is concerned, the Swiss cases are no more issues, as Geneva’s former Attorney General Daniel Zappelli clarified: “The Swiss courts cannot reopen the cases against President Zardari due to the immunity he enjoys as president.” International law also provides immunity to President Zardari as the president of Pakistan.

We also have the examples of France and Sudan regarding similar issues. The French court does not take action against Sarkozy for acts like his alleged involvement in the submarine scandal, allegedly done while he was not the president. Even the Sudanese president is not arrested anywhere around the world despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, due to his sovereign immunity, for violations he committed while in office. President Zardari is the lawfully elected president and is immune from any legal action under Article 248 of the constitution. Therefore Prime minister could not violate national and international laws regarding presidential immunity.
On thursday, may 3, 2012, Government and its allies adopted resolution in both houses and all MPs reposed confidence in Prime Minister.

Gilani is the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Pakistan, where civilian governments have repeatedly been toppled by the country s powerful military, often with the support of the Supreme Court, which critics allege is heavily politicized. Corruption charges have routinely been used to target those in power, or seeking to return.

Despite all these injustices with PPP, prime minister respected judiciary, upheld constitution and saved democracy. Mr. Nawaz sharif should grow up, it is better for him to face the realities and come out his 90s politics of mob riots and storming into pillars of powers unconstitutionally and illegally. His anti-democratic movement in the name of long march under slogan ‘to save the the Supreme Court’ is another stigma on his poltical career.

It seems that he wants to further extend this crisis to create misunderstandings between judiciary and executive for his own vested interests. The recent statement by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani was a warning for all stakeholders and no one should adopt a path of confrontation. God forbid, Pakistan might pay for Nawaz sharif’s foul play, because a clash between institutions cannot be handled by our country, especially at this time when there is a faltering economy, widespread poverty and the bloody war with militant groups. God bless Pakistan.

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Omar Abdullah is a freelance writer by passion, blogger as a hobby and social worker by profession. He is M.phil in sociology.

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