PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday said that the party’s “historic win” in the NA-249 by-election held a day earlier in Karachi “proves that the people no longer backing the government”.
His remarks came during a post-victory press conference in the city.
“This win is a win for the entire city,” a double-masked Bilawal said.
‘President must resign’
Speaking of the Supreme Court verdict in favour of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, the PPP chairman that his party had at the outset termed the action against the judge “illegal” and “inappropriate” and condemned the probe against him.
“We had demanded at the time that whoever is involved in this, in the blackmailing or judges, in spying against them, and those who have sold this reference, which includes the prime minister, the president of Pakistan and their advisors and ministers […] should resign after attacking judges in this manner.
“Now after his acquittal and after the conspiracy has been exposed, there must be action against them and an investigation must be conducted to determine the nature of this conspiracy which targeted an honourable justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan [and subjected him to] political victimisation and character assassination,” Bilawal said.
He said the party welcomes the development and hopes that the same standards will be upheld by the judiciary for political victims as for justices.
“We demand that the president of Pakistan immediately resign. He has no moral authority to remain in office after signing off on a false reference against an honourable judge of the Supreme Court,” he said.
“The entire cabinet is involved […] they all advised the president to take such a step,” Bilawal said, adding that the president “should have exercised his own judgment”.
The PPP chairman said now “everyone (involved)” will have to answer for “this crime” and the sooner, the better for the country.