All parties should sit together for political stability: Tarar

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday said that all political parties should sit together for political stability and improvement of economy. The Law Minister expressed these views while addressing a press conference here.
The minister said that women’s rights organizations were active in Pakistan and everyone had to work for women’s rights at every forum. He said that the government was determined to protect the rights of women. “We have to work together to respect and sanctify the rights of half of the country’s population,” he added. He said that there was a need to work together for women’s rights and their protection at public and private levels. He said that women’s rights protection institutions were active in Pakistan.
The federal minister said that societies that did not give respect and place to women did not progress. Laws and institutions had been created for women in Pakistan during the last 15, 20 years, he added. He said that protecting the rights of women living in Pakistan, ending harassment at the workplace and protecting them were among the top priorities of the government. He said that no political party was running away from the election and problems could be avoided if all the assembly elections were held at the same time.
He said that digital census was going on in the country which would cost Rs 35 billion. It was not appropriate to hold elections on the old census in some parts of the country and on the new census in others, he added. He said that former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan needed to correct his behavior. Judicial fugitive was starting ‘Adaliya Bachao Movement’ to cover up his crimes, he added. He said that it was surprising that Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan had now got the idea that the ‘Adaliya Bachao Movement’ should be started. He said that Imran Khan should look at his past and look at the policies of his government and the atrocities like suppressing the opposition.
He said that there are black spots on the character of Imran Khan and he needed to correct his behavior. He said that the judicial fugitive was starting the ‘Adaliya Bachao Movement’ to cover up his crimes. The federal minister said that newspapers and TV shows were witnesses that pressure was put on the judiciary in the past and some institutions were used to pressurised political opponents. He said that in the past, institutions were criticized because of some individuals. Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Article 95 of the Constitution clearly stated that the Leader of the House could remain the Leader of the House with the majority. Due to Imran Khan’s character and policies, the political parties left him and the no-confidence motion was successful, he added.
He said that Imran Khan should also look at his behavior. He said that he stormed the court and dissolved the National Assembly on a fictitious ruling to overturn the court decision, which was reinstated by the court. The federal minister said that Imran Khan threatened institutions and judges in various cases and this action was not commendable.
Azam Tarar said that the survival and stability of Pakistan lied in the survival and strength of institutions. If the judiciary was strong, no one could harm the country, he added. The federal minister said that whenever a court summoned Imran Khan, he made fun of it and fixed the time and place for his appearance in the court. On the one hand Imran Khan raised the slogan of justice for all while on the other hand he violated the sanctity and honor of the court, he added. He said that whether the court was of a magistrate, civil judge, high court or supreme court, his respect and honor and position was higher and should be respected.
He said that in the recent past, questions were raised about Nawaz Sharif being disqualified and Yusuf Raza Gilani being removed from power. He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif criticized the court decision but reluctantly faced court proceedings. The Federal Minister said that the session court of Islamabad had been summoning Imran for three months but he did not appear. He said that Imran Khan should also look at his behavior before starting the Save the Judiciary movement. Even today, he did not accept the court decisions, he added.
He said that there should be uniformity in character and Imran Khan should apply the constitution and law to himself. He said that people made decisions by looking at the character and attitudes of political leaders and people’s decisions were never wrong.
In response to a question, the Federal Minister said that it was clearly written in Article 254 of the Constitution that if a work could not be done within the stipulated time, it would not be unconstitutional. The time for holding elections in Punjab and KPK in 90 days had passed, he added. He said that census was being conducted in the country, which would cost Rs 35 billion and billions of rupees would also be spent on elections. He said that the digital census was expected to be completed by April and it was not appropriate to hold elections on the old census in half of the country and on the new census in half of the country.
He said that in the past, the elections held in the presence of political governments were controversial and the people did not accept their results. He said that if the elections were held in two phases, it would continue to create problems in the future. No one was running away from elections and all political classes should get equal opportunities, he added. On another question, Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the writ of the state should be established and if parties talk about justice, then it should be followed and not avoid appearing in courts by resorting to lies. He said that politics was not the name of opposition for the sake of opposition or scratching each other’s throats, but the name of politics was dialogue. He said that the country was facing difficult economic conditions. If Imran Khan was sincere then he should start dialogue, he added.