He asked why his brother Nawaz Sharif was not given such leniency. (file)
Islamabad:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday questioned the Supreme Court’s relief to his “ladla” Imran Khan, saying its “double standards” have killed justice in Pakistan.
In a major relief for Khan, Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday declared his dramatic arrest “illegal” and “invalid” and ordered his immediate release after he was produced before a bench on its orders.
Mr Khan, 70, was arrested on Tuesday outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and on Wednesday an accountability court handed him over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on eight-day remand in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.
Responding to the Supreme Court’s relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Mr. Khan, Mr. Sharif said, “When he (Imran) was produced in the court yesterday, the CJP said it was good to see you. And, he said this in a corruption case.
“If you want to keep favoring this laadle (ladle), then you should also put all the dacoits in the country behind bars. Let it be free for all,” he said while addressing the federal cabinet on Friday.
He asked why such leniency was not meted out to his brother and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other members of the federal coalition, who were arrested when Khan was prime minister.
“Nobody spoke to him about the injustice done to Nawaz. Such double standards have become the cause of death of justice in Pakistan.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday granted bail to PTI chairman Khan for two weeks in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Khan’s arrest sparked widespread protests across Pakistan on Tuesday, forcing the government to deploy the army in the national capital as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. At least eight people died in the violent protests.
On Thursday, a three-member apex court bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Athar Minallah ordered his immediate release.
Khan is facing over 120 cases across the country for allegedly sedition and blasphemy and inciting violence and terrorism.
He was ousted from power in April after losing a vote of no confidence in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy to target him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan .
He is the only Pakistani Prime Minister to be ruled out of a vote of no confidence in the Parliament.