Shehbaz Sharif, President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), slammed the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday for “favouring” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended his sentence in the Toshakhana case.
The IHC verdict today represents a significant legal victory for Khan, who was sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs100,000 in the Toshakhana case by Additional Districts and Sessions Judge Dilawar Humayun after being found guilty of corrupt practises related to the state gift repository, effectively barring him from running in elections later this year.
In his message on X, formerly Twitter, the former premier also wrote that the IHC had been influenced by the apex court’s leniency toward the PTI chief.
“The “favourite’s” sentence has been suspended, not terminated.
“Chief Justice’s message of “Good to see you” and “Wishing you good luck” reached Islamabad High Court. If everyone knows what the decision will be before the decision comes, it should be a moment of concern for the justice system,” the former premier wrote.
He further stated that when a “clear message” was received from the higher judiciary, the subordinate court would follow suit.
“A monitoring judge was appointed to ensure Nawaz Sharif’s punishment, [and now] the chief justice himself [has become] a monitoring judge to save the ‘favourite’,” he wrote, slamming the courts for giving Khan relief.
Taking issue with the overturning of the sentence, Shehbaz’s tweet further read: “This role of the justice system will be written as the dark chapter of history. Scales tilted to one side and a justice system that undermines justice are not acceptable.
He wrote that the law was powerless before those who “sold the watches”.
“If thieves and state terrorists are facilitated, where will the common man get justice in the country?”
The former premier also lamented that Khan and his party were given undue leniency by the courts.
“Be it May 9, be it an attack on the judicial complex, be it raining petrol bombs on the police, everything is forgiven,” he concluded.
