Dangerous to do away with laws approved by parliament: Nawaz
Institutions earn respect through their performance, says PML-N president and former PM
ISLAMABAD: Deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday it would be dangerous to do away with laws approved by the parliament as the Constitution is a sacred document to run affairs of the state.
The remarks by Nawaz came prior to the Supreme Court's verdict on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017, ruling that a person disqualified under Article 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.
As a result of the verdict, all decisions taken by Nawaz Sharif as PML-N’s president stand null and void.
Appreciating the judiciary's stance regarding the Constitution, the PML-N president said that institutions earn respect through their performance.
However, he said the Constitution would be brought in question if the courts start to verify laws and added that the Constitution is formed by the public's elected representatives.
The former premier further said that the parliament and the institutions stay within their ambit due to the Constitution.
The verdict also ruled that “all steps taken, orders passes, directions given and documents issued, by Nawaz after the July 28 verdict will be deemed to be nullified.
Disqualification to party president
Following Nawaz's disqualification as prime minister in July 2017 in the Panama Papers case, the ruling party managed to amend the Constitution to allow the former premier to retain his chairmanship of the PML-N.
As a result, the Elections Act 2017 was passed by Parliament bringing Nawaz back as the party president despite his disqualification from the National Assembly.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, MNA Jamshaid Dasti, National Party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), among others, challenged the law for allowing a disqualified parliamentarian to become a party head.
The petitions, challenging specific clauses of the Elections Act 2017, state that Nawaz's appointment as party president is in violation of Clause 5 of the Political Parties Order 2002 and Article 17 of the Constitution.