PESHAWAR: Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister for information and public relations, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has warned that the Supreme Court’s decision on Article 63-A paved the way for President Asif Ali Zardari and Sharif families to buy members of parliament, an official statement says.

Mr Saif also expressed concern over the impending possibility of horse-trading during the voting on constitutional amendments, calling it an irreparable threat to democracy.

“This decision benefits the political mafia while undermining the very fabric of our democracy,” the statement quoted Mr Saif as saying, adding that when courts succumbed to political expediency, justice suffered.

He emphasised that the PTI founder, Imran Khan, had effectively curtailed such horse-trading, but the current situation was alarming.

“Today’s ruling on Article 63-A has taken many by surprise and will remain a source of embarrassment for the judicial system,” he said and called upon the legal community to support Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in thwarting these attempts which went against the spirit of democracy.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2024