All Sindh MPAs will go to jail if PPP leaders convicted: Mirza

"If PPP leaders Taj Haider and Sharjeel Memon are convicted by the Supreme Court, PPP Sindh MPAs will go to jail en-bloc, terming it injustice with Sindh province," said Zulfiqar Mirza, Sindh Home Minister here on Friday.
"We will accept the decision of the Supreme Court as we always respect the judiciary, but we all will go to jail along with the two PPP leaders if they are convicted by the court," Mirza said while talking to media outside the court before the contempt hearing against the two PPP leaders.
PPP provincial ministers, MPAs and other leaders in a large number reached outside the Supreme Court early in the morning to show solidarity with their two leaders Taj Haider, Secretary General PPP Sindh Chapter and Sharjeel Inam Memon MPA. Prior to the court hearing, prominent PPP Sindh leaders including Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro, Zulfiqar Mirza, Pir Mazharul Haque, Agha Siraj Durrani, Shazia Marri, Ayaz Soomro and others arrived in the Court Room No 1. More than 60 members of the Sindh Assembly were present in the court apart from dozens of other party leaders.
Strict security measures were taken in and around the apex court to avoid any incident, as huge contingents of Rangers and Islamabad Police were deployed and people were allowed to enter the court building after thorough manual and electronic security checks.
"Do not treat us as Begalis, we have founded Pakistan and do not push us to the wall," Mirza said, adding that the court's decision to issue contempt notice is based on discrimination," Zulfiqar Mirza said. "We want to give a message to entire nation that since long Sindh is being targeted. However now the practice should come to an end and all the grievances of Sindh should be addressed," Sindh Home Minister said, adding that they gave strike call to record their protest after feeling that injustice was being done with Sindh, which is right of every country-man.
Mirza said that being a son of former judge of Supreme Court, he knows about the respect of the apex court better than others, adding that they have respect for the judiciary, but it is the judiciary that awarded capital punishment to first democratically elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was innocent and had committed no crime. "former Justice Naseem Hassan had himself admitted they convicted Shaheed Bhutto although he was innocent," Mirza maintained.
Responding to a question on increasing incidents of targeted killings, Sindh Home Minister said that why the Supreme Court was not taking notice of the ongoing targeted killings in Karachi. Mirza dispelled the impression of using pressure tactics by calling whole Sindh Assembly in Supreme Court, saying that the MPAs came here in Islamabad to show solidarity with their colleagues and no one should call it pressure tactic.
"Former Justice Deedar Shah was eligible to head the NAB, but Chaudhry Nisar and some other people had some personal resentment rather they do not want any Sindhi to head the NAB to avoid any action against them," Mirza said. After the hearing, Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Khuhro while talking to media said that the Supreme Court took the matters in positive manner, which was a good sign of mutual respect. "They have asked some questions and demanded reply on next hearing on April 25," he added.
This is Pakistan's court and we expect justice from the court, Khuhro said, adding that there was no possibility of any clash as all the MPAs of Sindh and political leaders came here to express solidarity not to put pressure on courts or to collide with it. Khuhro said that in the presence of independent media, there was no chance of clash between the democratic institutions, Judiciary and Parliament.
The strike on March 11 against Supreme Court judgement on former Justice Deedar Shah was decision of people of Sindh, Sharjeel Memon said while talking to media after hearing in Supreme Court. He said that the court showed positive gestures and allowed us to file reply on next hearing fixed on April 25. "We are neither Nawaz Sharif nor Pervez Musharraf to bring disgrace to judiciary. We have sacrificed lives for the restoration of judiciary and every decision will be accepted wholeheartedly," Memon said. He said that Chief Justice has praised the discipline of PPP lawmakers in the court room and PPP will always show its respect for judiciary.
Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh Provincial Minister, said that they have full confidence in judiciary and hope that judiciary would repose its confidence in them. There are some misunderstandings, which will be removed in next hearing and every thing will be clear.