Following strongly critical speeches in the Senate over Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial’s alleged remark that Pakistan had only had one honest Prime Minister in its history, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Shehzad Ata Elahi has issued a clarification stating that no such remark on the honesty of the prime ministers was made by the chief justice.
In a letter written to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Attorney General of Pakistan urged the minister to share correct facts with fellow parliamentarians to clear the ambiguity in this regard.
"The chief justice of Pakistan went on to comment on the then deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Khan Junejo, being a very good and independent man who was removed through Article 58(2)(b)", clarified the attorney general of Pakistan.
The Attorney General of Pakistan stated that the observation, that Junejo was the 'only honest prime minister' of the country, seems to have been 'misinterpreted.'
Attorney General of Pakistan Shehzad Ata Elahi said that the members of parliament gave their opinions without knowing the facts.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CJP's remark had sparked a heated debate in the Senate between Treasury and opposition members.
The matter was raised in the Senate by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui. He said that the parliament was the representative of the people of Pakistan, not the judiciary or the armed forces.
"How can the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial make such remarks when he has no direct connection to either the parliament or the elections?"
Siddiqui added that Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial called only one prime minister honest, which would probably be Muhammad Khan Junejo.
"Who authorized him to label everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest," he asked.
'How could [the chief justice] say Pakistan has only had one honest PM in history? Would it be fair if we say we've only had one honest CJ in history?,' Irfan Siddiqui had said. "Not even one," PPP Senator Taj Haider had quipped at this point.
In a letter written to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, the Attorney General of Pakistan urged the minister to share correct facts with fellow parliamentarians to clear the ambiguity in this regard.
"The chief justice of Pakistan went on to comment on the then deposed Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Khan Junejo, being a very good and independent man who was removed through Article 58(2)(b)", clarified the attorney general of Pakistan.
The Attorney General of Pakistan stated that the observation, that Junejo was the 'only honest prime minister' of the country, seems to have been 'misinterpreted.'
Attorney General of Pakistan Shehzad Ata Elahi said that the members of parliament gave their opinions without knowing the facts.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CJP's remark had sparked a heated debate in the Senate between Treasury and opposition members.
The matter was raised in the Senate by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui. He said that the parliament was the representative of the people of Pakistan, not the judiciary or the armed forces.
"How can the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial make such remarks when he has no direct connection to either the parliament or the elections?"
Siddiqui added that Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial called only one prime minister honest, which would probably be Muhammad Khan Junejo.
"Who authorized him to label everyone from Liaquat Ali Khan to Imran Khan dishonest," he asked.
'How could [the chief justice] say Pakistan has only had one honest PM in history? Would it be fair if we say we've only had one honest CJ in history?,' Irfan Siddiqui had said. "Not even one," PPP Senator Taj Haider had quipped at this point.