Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari blames judiciary for 'resurrecting' former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s party

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday lashed out at the top judiciary for 'resurrecting' jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party through a decision about its iconic electoral symbol of cricket bat.

The Supreme Court in a controversial judgment had upheld a verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan that snatched the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s election symbol just before the February 8 general elections over its failure to hold the intra-party elections as per its laws.

Bilawal in a speech in the National Assembly suggested that the judgment helped the PTI to rally support by banking on the sympathy vote. “This verdict resurrected a dead political party after which it started mobilising,” he said.

The 35-year-old scion of the powerful Bhutto-Zardari family added that the decision had political implications and benefitted the PTI close to the February 8 general elections.

He also alleged that the judiciary was responsible for the current crises regarding the allocation of reserved seats following another judgment by the top court which declared that the PTI was a legitimate political party to accommodate independent candidates and also get a share in the reserved seats.

“No one sitting in this House is responsible for the current crisis in the country. Only the court was and is the reason for the crisis,” Bilawal, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, said.

Bilawal, 35, also highlighted the verdict of July 12 when the Supreme Court opened ways for the PTI to get independents into its fold and increase its strength in the parliament.

“They have handed out the verdict and seats (to PTI) like candy,” he said. He lamented that the PTI had not even asked for it. “They did not even ask for it and the law and Constitution did not even permit it.” He also maintained that the country’s judiciary has been constantly meddling in politics. “The history of the judiciary is before everyone,” he said, adding that his party had to fight for justice on behalf of its “martyred leaders” including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Highlighting the political situation in Bangladesh, Bilawal claimed that the people of Pakistan were carefully watching the situation in the wake of the anti-government protest that triggered its prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.

He urged the government to pay attention to the issues of the people who are experiencing an economic crisis.