Well, the bombshell has finally dropped but is being looked at through various colored glasses. That is to say, the pro Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) conjure up wishful and idealistic notions of indemnity from various clauses of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision, whereas the anti PML-N hawks say there’s no way former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party is contesting the Senate of Pakistan’s elections this March.
However, what’s saddest is when young pro-PML-N lawyers who are also Tv anchors, reveal from their arguments that the SC considers emotionalism in its decisions. And so they naively ask aloud how the SC could possibly disenfranchise people at the stroke of a pen.
Well let’s just say there were several strokes, not just one! And the law is the law, devoid of emotionalism. To this some will argue compassion, but that doesn’t apply in this case. The last paragraph, 9, of the judgement reads:
- As a result of the above declaration, all steps taken, orders passed, directions given and documents issued by Respondent No.4 as Party Head after his disqualification on 28.07.2017 are also declared to have never been taken, passed, given or issued in the eyes of the law. The Election Commission of Pakistan is accordingly directed to remove the name of Respondent No.4 (Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif) as President/Party Head of Respondent No.3 (Pakistan Muslim League (N) from all relevant record(s).
ISLAMABAD, THE 21st of February 2018.
ZR/* APPROVED FOR REPORTING
Even bright, broad daylight isn’t as revealing as the decisive paragraph! Sad though it might be and despite all the development work the brothers Sharif executed all over the country, the judgement has wiped him off the slate irrespective of what the followers might be fretting for. This however does not mean Senate elections will be postponed, what it does mean is that the PML-N will have to find another president in Nawaz Sharif’s stead and pick candidates who have not found particular favour with the strongman in any shape or form. This will prevent them from the SC’s crosshairs, in that they will not fall prey to unforeseen legal lucana as the party has throughout the Nawaz Sharif case.
Having said that, it needs to be understood from Para 9 that all Nawaz Sharif’s decisions prior to his disqualification are still valid both those after are null and void. The ticket to his Lodhran candidate falls within this ambit. But not to worry, this can be undone and done again! Elect (choose?) another president, “re-choose) senate candidates (possibly the same ones) and so with the Lodhran candidate. But the Election Commission of Pakistan will then need to set a date for re-elections in Lodhran. It basically boils down to getting someone to replace Nawaz, although that won’t stop the party from tacitly taking diktat from him.
So if the “in” people in the party didn’t know of this impending doom they’re in a sad mental state and if they chose to cross bridges when they came to them, well here they are, the roken bridges NewsroomPakistan means!
