ISLAMABAD, June 14: The PTI and PML-N, which have so far been bitterly criticising each other on political turf, appear to have found some common ground in their pro-judiciary stand.
Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, otherwise a harsh critic of Imran Khan, offered the PTI leader an olive branch on Thursday for the sake of judiciary.
Talking to journalists outside the parliament house, Chaudhry Nisar refused to comment on the PTI and Imran Khan. Instead, in reply to a question, Mr Nisar said: “Since the country is undergoing very difficult times following accusations of corrupt practices against the son of the Chief Justice of Pakistan I have decided to cease fire with Imran Khan.”
He said these critical moments necessitated a joint struggle by all political forces so that superior judiciary was saved from a `conspiracy’ hatched against it.
He went to the extent of clarifying that he never accused Imran Khan of taking any direct benefit from Malik Riaz, but only talked about some hidden support which the PTI might have received from certain quarters for holding its rallies.
He accused President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of being behind Malik Riaz and using the real estate agent as their pawn to ridicule the superior judiciary.
Chaudhry Nisar said the PML-N, with the support of other political parties, would foil the ‘conspiracy’.
The PML-N leader said that defying court orders had become a routine matter for the PPP-led government which needed to be stopped with full force.
Chaudhry Nisar, who holds personal enmity with Malik Riaz, also claimed to have evidence indicating how President Asif Ali Zardari was busy in conspiring against the Supreme Court.
He said that if Dr Arsalan had committed some crime he should be sent to jail along with Malik Riaz, but nobody should be allowed to defame the Supreme Court.
Chaudhry Nisar said the PML-N would continue its protests against convicted Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani both within and outside the parliament and the party planned to step up its campaign in coming days.
“The PML-N will never allow Mr Gilani to sit peacefully in the National Assembly,” Mr Nisar declared.
PTI leader Imran Khan reciprocated the friendly gestures from the PML-N leadership. At a private TV channel discussion on Thursday, he said he would not mind if the PTI and PML-N joined hands to defend the supremacy of judiciary.
The PTI chief said if the sitting chief justice was forced to resign, nobody would dare to stand up against corruption and corrupt people. Therefore, he said, all pro-judiciary political parties should come forward to defend it.
Addressing Malik Riaz, he said: “Why don’t you once again hold the Holy Quran in your hands and name all those generals, politicians and journalists who have been your beneficiaries. Let people see their true faces.”
