President of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has requested Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar to impose judicial martial law in the country for holding general election transparently. Speaking to the press conference here on Wednesday, Rashid said if the opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi do not make consultations on appointment of caretaker prime minister with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, it will not be acceptable to him.
"It is the judiciary's responsibility to nominate caretaker prime minister. Everyone has one's eyes focused on judiciary. I would not mind if CJP imposes a 90-day judicial martial law in the country for the purpose of elections," Rashid remarked. "The caretaker government should be formed according to the nation's expectations," Rashid said.
He expressed his disappointment with the assemblies to appoint a new president of the country. "Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani will be the caretaker president after the president's retirement," Rashid said. Rashid was of the view that matter of caretaker prime minister should not only be consulted with Khursheed Shah but the opinion of PTI chairman Imran Khan should also be taken in this regard.
"Any individual not approved by Imran Khan would not be accepted as the caretaker prime minister," Rashid added. The AML president also termed Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's recent visit to the United States 'suspicious'. "How did he go on his US visit without a foreign secretary?" he questioned, adding former PM Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was removed from his position when he held such a private meeting with former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld.
He said, "I will accept the Supreme Court decision either in my favour or against, but I am sure that the court will not disqualify me." While criticizing the ruling party, he said Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif should not underestimate Prime Minister Abbasi, saying his visit to the United States is mysterious one. While telling the purpose of his press conference, Rashid stated it was in response to Nawaz Sharif's statement outside the accountability court on Wednesday wherein he said now voices are being raised even within the Supreme Court on Panama Papers case judgment.