SC verdict 'great disappointment' to those expecting instability due to 'clash of institutions': PM
November 28, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan has ruled out a clash of institutions in the country.
Minutes after the Supreme Court
allowed Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to stay in his office for another six months, Prime Minister Imran Khan reacted to the top court's judgement, calling it "a great disappointment to those who expected the country to be destabilised by a clash of institutions".
Taking to Twitter, he said the fact that a clash of institutions was averted "must be of special disappointment to our external enemies and mafias within - Mafias who have stashed their loot abroad and seek to protect this loot by destabilising the country".
Imran Khan
✔@ImranKhanPTI
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1200010012753563649
Today must be a great disappointment to those who expected the country to be destabilised by a clash of institutions. That this did not happen must be of special disappointment to our external enemies & mafias within -
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6:14 AM - Nov 28, 2019
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In another tweet, Prime Minister Imran said 23 years ago, the PTI was the first political party to advocate for an independent judiciary and the rule of law. In addition, he said the PTI was at the forefront of the Movement for Independence of the Judiciary in 2007 and he was "jailed for it".
"Also, for the record, I have the greatest respect for CJ [Chief Justice Asif Saeed] Khosa, one of the greatest Jurists produced by Pakistan," the prime minister wrote.
Imran Khan
✔@ImranKhanPTI
For the record, 23 yrs ago we were the first Party to advocate an independent Judiciary and Rule of Law. In 2007, PTI was in the forefront of the Movement for Independence of the Judiciary & I was jailed for it.
6:18 AM - Nov 28, 2019
The Supreme Court earlier today in its short order announced that Gen Bajwa will remain the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) for another six months, during which the parliament will legislate on the extension/reappointment of an army chief.
A three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice Khosa, Justice Mian Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah — announced the much-anticipated verdict after being assured by the government that parliament will pass relevant legislation within six months.
'Matter resolved'
Commenting on the SC judgement, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi while talking to DawnNewsTV said the government had tried to assist the court and address its concerns. "I think this matter has been safely resolved and I do not see any ambiguity in it now," he added.
Answering a question, he said the government will not need to amend the Constitution in order to carry out legislation as per the Supreme Court's instructions.
Qureshi said there was "nothing lacking" in the government legal team's performance in the top court, and that the procedure explained by them was based on past precedents.
A cabinet meeting will examine the SC verdict and take appropriate measures because the country "cannot afford any sort of crisis at this stage", he added.
The minister noted that although the issue of the army chief's tenure is Pakistan's internal matter, "celebrations were being held in India" because it wanted to create instability in the country.
In response to a question regarding whether the government will use the legislation in this case to assert civilian supremacy, Qureshi said the government will maintain its "functional relationship" with the country's security institutions as it has since the start of its tenure.
"I want to state clearly, the authority to [grant] an extension rests with the executive," he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran had approved the extension under the Constitution.