Azam Nazir urges transparency to ensure rule of law

LAHORE, April 25 (SABAH): Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) believed in the supremacy of law and the constitution and wanted transparency in all matters as it was utmost necessary for ensuring rule of law in the country.

Addressing a press conference flanked by SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan here, he said that peoples’ confidence in the national institutions could be ensured through transparency.

Parliament being the legislature and supreme institution of the country, was mandated to make legislation as per the constitution, he said and added that Practice and Procedure Act was passed by the upper and lower houses of the Parliament by using its constitutional right, however a ruling was given to stop the act before its imposition.

He said the Parliament and the political fora were the right place to discuss political matters. In the past, courts have tried to avoid questions being raised on political matters, Tarar said, adding when political matters were taken to court, it only harmed the country and the nation.

Tarar said that an audio leak between former chief justice Saqib Nisar and the PTI lawyer Khawaja Tariq Rahim had raised questions as various political matters and cases which were in the courts had been discussed in the audio tape.

The conversation in the audio leak was aimed to create rifts among the institutions and to further deepen the prevailing crisis, he alleged. The country was passing through a tough situation, whereas, the audio leak was referring to further intensify it.

Matters pertaining to future were discussed in the call, he said adding that the perception regarding ousting of prime minister of elected PML-N government in 2016-17 was getting strengthened that it was pre-planned.

SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan said that interpretation of the constitution was a right and duty of the courts, however, they could not rewrite the constitution. He said various powers were abundantly misused in the courts including the suo moto powers particularly in political matters.

He said the PML-N was never afraid of going into elections, however, it wanted a level playing field for everyone so that no one could raise questions over the conduct of elections and their transparency. He said, a ruling was given for conducting elections in the Punjab province in 90 days, whereas, the matter of elections in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was set aside.

The SAPM said that conspiracies were being hatched against the PML-N government from the day one. There should prevail sanity and political discourse in the country to take the things forward as the parliament was a supreme institution, he added.

To a question, Federal Minister Azam Nazeer said that some elements wanted to see the government in contempt of court, but the government did nothing which come into the purview of contempt of court.

To another query regarding audio leak, he said that it was an era of information technology and anything could come out as it was not a matter of Pakistan only and it happened everywhere in the world.

Malik Ahmed Khan said while responding to a question, under the article 18 of the constitution, it was the responsibility of Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct elections and they had to ensure implementation over it. The minister and SAPM Malik Ahmed Khan demanded forensic audit into the alleged audio tape.