The PPP leadership on Thursday voiced concern over the Supreme Court’s dismissal of review petitions submitted by those nominated in the fake accounts case and said it would raise the issue of the top court’s extent of suo motu powers in the parliament. Following dismissal of all the review petitions, members of the party announced that both Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto shall hold press conferences today at Zardari House in Islamabad and in London respectively. “The kind of treatment being meted out to PPP is unparalleled. One will never find this kind of behaviour anywhere else in the world,” said PPP leader Nafisa Shah. “It has been six months since the launch of an investigation but not even once has Bilawal Bhutto’s stance been heard,” she regretted. She said it was plain for all to see the kind of drama being staged in the name of accountability. Party stalwart Farhatullah Babar, too, expressed his disappointment over the court’s decision. “The extent of the Supreme Court’s authority to take suo motu notices on matters needs to be ascertained,” he said. The top court had taken a suo motu notice after observing that the FIA had been on the case since 2015 and was yet to wrap it up. He too expressed regret that Bilawal Bhutto had not been provided the opportunity to say anything in his defence. “The Supreme Court is the top court in the country against which no appeal can be made,” he acknowledged and said that the party respects the decision it has taken , despite not being in agreement with it. However, the leader said that the party will gear up to argue the matter in Parliament under Article 184 (3) (Original Jurisdiction of Supreme Court) of the Constitution. He said that the matter will be raised so that legislation can be made to dertermine the reach of the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers.
Published in Daily Times, February 20th 2019.
