Nawaz bearing the brunt of defending Article 62: Shah

ISLAMABAD: In a reaction to the Supreme Court’s verdict on the duration of parliamentarian’s disqualification under Article 62 (1)(f),  Opposition leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Friday said while former premier Nawaz Sharif didn’t accept a request by the opposition to do away with the provision, he himself has been punished under the law during his party’s government.

Speaking to the media here shortly after the apex court’s historic verdict, he said Sharif had defended Article 62 of the Constitution and thus, was caught in a cleft stick.

In a historic verdict, the apex court on Friday ruled that disqualification of public representatives, including two high-profile political leaders – Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen – under Article 62(1)(f) is for life.

Shah called on politicians to empower Parliament to take decisions by believing in its supremacy and warned they would be deprived of the right to do politics, if Parliament’s supremacy is undermined.

He said politicians ceded more space to the courts, which is borne out by the ousted premier going to the Supreme Court instead of Parliament for redressal of his grievances. His party is in power while he is being punished, he said.

Didn’t Sharif attack the Supreme Court in the past, he asked, adding that had he been punished at that time, the situation would have been different.

Referring to the upcoming general elections, the opposition leader said it remains to be seen what the people of the country decide.

Shah regretted that some people backed dictators for the sake of power, but the PPP always believed in the supremacy of Parliament.

He warned that any attack on 18^th amendment would adversely impact the federating units.