National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf of Islamabad has warned the Supreme Court against encroaching on the jurisdiction of Parliament, saying it may encourage others to do the same.
In an interview with the American media, Ashraf argued that if the legislative power of the parliament is not acceptable, then the superior judiciary should take over the legislative matter. He further said that if Parliament has to exercise its legislative powers as per the will of the Supreme Court or the High Court, then the facade of elections should end.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s verdict which had curtailed the implementation of a bill restricting the Chief Justice’s powers before it became law,
He also questioned how the court could enter the realm of elected representatives of the people. While Ashraf believes that the supreme court should hear all sides, he thinks that political matters should not be addressed as it not only weakens the judiciary but also damages politics.
He emphasized that MPs should solve all political issues themselves in Parliament or any other forum. Regarding the army chief’s address to the in-camera meeting on national security.
Ashraf praised General Asim Munir’s adherence to the constitution and trust in the supremacy of parliament, saying the country needed more such ideas.
Finally, when Ashraf was asked about the possibility of a new anti-terror operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan, he said that no new operation was necessary as law enforcement agencies were already taking action against criminals.
