CIVIL MARTIAL LAW IMPOSED IN PAKISTAN - APEX COURT TURNED INTO A MAUSOLEUM OF JUSTICE. ALTAF HUSSAIN
"In Pakistan, the manner in which amendments have been made to the constitution and laws regarding the judiciary and the armed forces has effectively imposed civil martial law in the country, the apex court transformed into a mausoleum of justice"
London: 9 November, 2024
Founder leader of MQM Mr Altaf Hussain has said that civil martial law has been imposed in Pakistan through unconstitutional amendments in the constitution and the laws of judiciary and armed forces.
He was addressing the 148th study circle on social media. Commenting on the he said that following the 26th constitutional amendment, amendments to laws regarding the Supreme Court, Islamabad High Court, and armed forces have been made in the National Assembly and Senate, which place the judiciary entirely under the influence of the administration and government. No one who believes in the supremacy of the constitution, law, and justice can deem this legislation as fair or justifiable. These amendments amount to a complete suppression of human rights. The haste with which these bills were passed, without any debate, further proves that the parliament currently holds no respect or significance. Its dignity has also been trampled for the interests of the powerful.
Historically, it is evident that the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) are products of the military. They were nurtured in the lap of generals and have always worked for their interests which the recent 26th constitutional amendment and the legal changes passed in the National Assembly and Senate two days ago further confirm.
Mr Hussain further said that the mistake made by founder of PPP Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and repeated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is now being made by Nawaz Sharif's younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, and Bhutto's grandson, Bilawal Zardari. They are also amending the constitution and laws to please the military generals, stripping the higher judiciary of powers while granting the military unlimited authority. They have altered the process for appointing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to appoint a Chief Justice of their choice, bypassing the senior-most judge, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and appointing the third-ranked judge, Justice Yahya Afridi, as Chief Justice instead.
Condemning the amendments; Altaf said that Government has increased the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 17 to 34 to ensure they could appoint judges who would make decisions in their favour rather than based on law. They also created a constitutional bench parallel to the Supreme Court through a constitutional amendment, led by a fourth-ranked judge, excluding the Chief Justice and two senior judges of the Supreme Court. This bench is intended to serve the interests of the Sharif family and the ruling mafia rather than upholding the constitution. Similarly; they have also increased the number of judges in the Islamabad High Court from 6 to 12 to bring it under control, as six senior judges of the Islamabad High Court had complained of pressure from military agencies.
“ To appease the military generals, the government amended the Army Act to extend the Army Chief's term and plans to offer further extensions to please them”. However, the outcome will likely be the same as what happened with Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Additionally, the government amended the Anti-Terrorism Act to empower the military, Rangers, FIA, and other security forces to detain any citizen for up to three months without court appearance, without accountability. This effectively authorises the military, paramilitary forces, and agencies to carry out enforced disappearances, allowing them to detain and "disappear" individuals at will, as seen in the case of PTI lawyer Intizar Hussain Panjotha, who was abducted and severely mistreated.
This is effectively establishing a full dictatorship in Pakistan, burying the constitution, law, justice, and human rights. Meanwhile, PTI leadership claims they will seek justice through the courts. If they could not secure justice for Imran Khan in 14 months, how will they achieve it now when judges loyal to the Sharif and Zardari have been appointed in the courts?
PTI leaders speak of seeking justice through the courts, yet Imran Khan just released a statement saying, "The nation should stand for revolution and peaceful protest because there will be no democracy until there is a revolution in the country."
I would like to tell the PTI leadership to set aside their egos and unite with all pro-democracy political parties, as this is not just a matter for PTI but for the entire in unity to strive for a revolution in the country.