The ongoing rift between the Pakistan government and the Supreme Court escalated after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday said that the judiciary should be held accountable for illegal and unconstitutional steps taken during the past 75 years, Geo News reported.
He said that Saqib Nisar had played a key role in the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif on completely baseless and false allegations and ran a vindictive campaign against the PMLN in order to bring Imran Khan into power through a rigged election he presided over.
The concerns were raised during the National Security Council of Pakistan's 41st meeting on Friday in Islamabad. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over the National Security Council of Pakistan's 41st meeting.
The bill is aimed at curtailing the powers of the chief justice -- including the suo motu and the formation of benches. The PTI has strongly condemned the move to pass the legislation and said it is an "attack on the judiciary".
Taking to his official Twitter handle, Shehbaz Sharif stressed that the curative review petition against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was based on "ill will" and meant to harass the judge.
"All political forces will have to sit together to take the country forward," the premier said while addressing a meeting held with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) at the PM House, Dawn reported.
Shehbaz Sharif's statement was contrary to over a dozen economists who believe that Pakistan faces the renewed risk of recession amid a deepening political and economic crisis and a delay in the revival of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) bailout programme.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the creation of chaos on roads is part of Imran Khan's agenda which aims at "fanning the fire of instability in the country."