Amendments to NAB law case: PTI’s Fawad ‘explains’ why Zardari, Maryam ‘targeting’ SC judges

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that Asif Ali Zardari and Maryam Nawaz are “targeting” Supreme Court judges in a bid to get the three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan dissolved and stop the issuance of its verdict on amendments to controversial accountability law case.

Speaking at a presser, he said that he specifically referred to Maryam Nawaz’s address at a workers’ convention on Monday, and alleged that the ruling party was running a “campaign” against superior court judges.

“The sole reason behind all these campaigns is that the bench hearing NAB amendment cases gets dissolved and doesn’t issue its verdict,” he added.

“The Rs 1,100 billion raked in by the Sharif and Zardari family via what we call the NRO 2023 (a reference to the legislation for amendments to NAB law) — the Supreme Court is being targeted to protect this (NRO),” he added.

In this connection, he also mentioned recently surfaced audio clips, purportedly featuring the voices of judges’ relatives.

“You see audio clips surfacing […] that are spread, and Maryam Nawaz has said on record that she also has access to videos. So we should also be prepared for videos of judges being surfaced,” he said.

The PTI leader further said that the three-judge bench hearing cases pertaining to NAB law amendments had the support of the entire country, the top lawyers and the bars councils.

“Entire Pakistan is standing with you (judges), so don’t fall victim to any blackmailing and make independent decisions,” he added.

He urged the judges to make decisions in accordance with the law and Constitution, saying that “getting the judgements implemented is the people’s job.”

He also announced that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, had decided to send a legal notice to Maryam, informing the PML-N leader that a criminal case was being registered against her for “damaging the reputation” of the former first lady.