CJP Umar Ata Bandial should avoid giving political advice to political parties: Baber Awan

ISLAMABAD, Oct 01 (SABAH): The central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and former law minister Dr. Babar Awan has said that Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial should avoid giving political advice to political parties.

In a special interview given to VOA’s Ali Furqan in Islamabad, Babar Awan said that ‘political decisions are not made by courts but by political parties.’ Babar Awan said, “At present, Imran Khan is leading Pakistan’s biggest political struggle and his party has the right to take the decisions in this regard.” He said this while replying a question regarding PTI’s demand for investigations on cipher by Supreme Court of Pakistan, while the Chief Justice had asked PTI to go back to the Parliament and play its role, Babar Awan said that he thanks Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial for this advice, but political decisions are not made by courts, but by political parties.

It should be noted that Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial while addressing a conference last week said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should go to the Parliament and play its role by withdrawing their resignations. PTI central leader has also rejected the investigation conducted by the government on cipher and demanded that the matter should be investigated by the Supreme Court. He said that PTI would think of returning to the National Assembly only if the bench composed of the judges of the Supreme Court is constituted for investigation of the cipher. However, at the same time, Babar Awan suggested that that PTI should not return to the current assembly as it would be better to go to the assembly with a fresh mandate after new elections.

On a question regarding delay in long march despite Imran Khan’s announcement, Babar Awan said that it depends on party’s political strategy to decide time to announce a decision. He said that the long march under the leadership of Imran Khan is not too late as it is being continuously consulted with the top leadership and decisions have been taken in this regard.

Talking about the disclosure of the leaked audio of Imran Khan in the context of foreign conspiracy, he said that the cipher was proved as a fact by the leaked audio. Babar Awan said that there is nothing in Imran Khan’s audio leak that contradicts our position, but it is an additional proof that our government was overthrown through a conspiracy. PTI chief’s legal advisor Babar Awan claimed that there is no threat to Imran Khan from the current legal and police cases. He said Imran Khan’s legal problems have been resolved and serious cases filed against him are dismissed by the court or he is on protection bail.

He said that the government’s aim of registering cases against Imran Khan was to arrest him, but they could not get the required evidence in this regard.