Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent advice to President Arif Alvi to withdraw the curative review reference and other miscellaneous petitions against Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez.
In accordance with Article 48 (1) of the Constitution and the decision of the Federal Cabinet, the President is advised to issue a curative review reference and withdraw miscellaneous civil appeals for revision, the premier advised.
The PTI government filed civil miscellaneous petitions against the top court judge. Reportedly, a PMO statement said, the Prime Minister has directed Law Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarar to withdraw the curative review reference against Justice Qazi Faiz Isa.
The premier said that Justice Qazi and his family were harassed and defamed in the name of presidential reference.
“This was not a reference, it was a revenge action by Imran Niazi, a vindictive person, against a fair-minded judge who followed the path of the Constitution and the law,” Shehbaz stressed.
The reference was a nefarious conspiracy against the judiciary to split it, he said adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and allied parties had condemned the “false reference” even during the opposition period.
“Imran Niazi misused the constitutional office of President for this criminal act. President Arif Alvi became an instrument in the attack on the Judiciary and an accomplice to a lie. Lawyers' organisations, including the Pakistan Bar Council, had also opposed it, saying the government respects their opinion."
Former premier Imran Khan reportedly admitted that the filing of a presidential reference for the removal of Justice Isa was a mistake.