ISLAMABAD: The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) has responded to social media buzz about remarks of Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan (HCJP), reported widely across social media as well as a segment of electronic media, that “in the history of Pakistan, only one Prime Minister was honest.”
The AGP wrote a letter to Federal Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, stating that “on 09.02.2023 an incorrect version of certain observations by the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan (HCJP) made that day during the proceedings of Constitution Petition No. 21/2022 titled Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi v. Federation of Pakistan’ circulated on social media platforms. I was personally present in Court Room No. 1 during the court proceedings, certain observations were made by the HCJP in the context of the non-restoration of the National Assembly by the Supreme Court in 1988 after its dissolution under the (now repealed) Article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. HCJP mentioned how in 1993 the then Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan had, in the case of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Vs. President of Pakistan (PLO 1993 SC 473), regretted the non-restoration of the National Assembly in 1988. On the other hand, the social media reported that the HCJP had commented on the honesty of the Prime Ministers of the country.”
Clarifying the scenario and context, the Attorney General further wrote “as I was personally present in the Court during these proceedings I can confirm to you that no such observation was made. In fact, the HCJP had recalled the regret express by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (Justice Nasim Hassan Shah) in 1993 in the aforementioned case, about the Supreme Court proceeding ahead with the general elections instead of restoring the National Assembly in 1988. The HCJP went on to comment on the then deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan (Mr. Muhammad Khan Junejo) being a very good and independent man who was removed though Article 56(2)(b).”
He said that the above observation of the HCJP seem to have been mis-constructed and mis-stated in the social media as if in the history of Pakistan only one Prime Minister (Muhammad Khan Junejo) was honest. However, no remark to this effect was made by the HCJP on 09.02.2023. Nevertheless, an incorrect narrative about the HCJP’s observations was circulated on social media.
