ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wed­nesday gave a new twist to his tirade against the judiciary when he equated the language used by the Supreme Court’s judges during a case hearing with what his arch-rival Imran Khan used against him.

Talking to journalists outside an accountability court on Thursday, he said: “It is not expected that persons sitting in such high-profile offices would use such language that does not suit their status.”

Mr Sharif said: “When we respond to their taunting, they invoke the contempt of court law against us. It appears that all laws are meant for us. There is a limit and we cannot tolerate such language and will never compromise on our self-respect.”

Was this not contempt of the office of an apex court judge when they themselves used words like Sicilian mafia and godfather against others, asked the disqualified prime minister. “Is there any law that prohibits them from using such unwarranted words?”

Accountability court rejects plea for exemption from personal appearance moved by ousted prime minister, family

What was the difference between the language used by Imran Khan and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, he further asked.

He criticised the judiciary for what he described as being lenient towards military dictators and said that after the 1999 coup when the then chief of army staff Gen Pervez Musharraf subverted the Constitution, the judges took the oath under the Provisional Constitution Order.

They showed allegiance to the military dictator which was tantamount to treason, Mr Sharif said.

After Mr Sharif left the court premises, accountability judge Mohammad Bashir announced its order, rejecting applications of Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar for exemption from personal attendance.

Members of the Sharif family had sought exemption because they wanted to visit an ailing Kulsoom Nawaz in London.

Mr Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris Ahmed argued before the court that Kulsoom Nawaz was critically ill for which she had been receiving treatment in London since Oct 6 last year.

He said the patient had undergone multiple surgical interventions in addition to six sessions of chemotherapy, each of the session lasting a week and spaced out every three weeks.

He said the last chemotherapy sessions concluded in the first week of this month.

He told the court that a multi-disciplinary team of leading consultants had examined Ms Kulsoom’s medical profile for formulating a further management plan.

Mr Haris said the medial team had decided for multiple tests in the middle of February and for that purpose the doctors had advised that the presence of her husband and other family members was mandatory in the hospital since the patient alone cannot take a decision in this regard owing to the severe and potentially life-threatening nature of her illness.

In these circumstances, applicants are required to be in London for two weeks and in their absence the court may appoint pleader for the continuity of trial, the counsel concluded.

But NAB deputy prosecutor general Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi reminded the judge that the Supreme Court had set a deadline of six months to conclude the case. He said the deadline would lapse next month and there was serious apprehension that the former premier and his family members would not return.

Mr Abbasi said NAB had also recommended to the interior ministry to place names of Mr Sharif, Ms Maryam and Mr Safdar on the exit control list (ECL).

Defence counsel Amjad Pervez suggested that the court may link the order with the interior ministry’s decision on NAB’s request to place the Sharifs on the ECL. He pointed out that Mr Sharif had been in the UK to see ailing wife and came back and the court was also kept informed about stages of Ms Kulsoom’s treatment.

The judge rejected the applications.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2018