Is Rome being challenged? News after news seems to be pouring in, suggesting that the King no longer rules supreme in the kingdom. After years of drought, one has started having a feeling that howsoever supreme, the royal family may believe, it is, there is also a Supreme Court in the country that has suddenly realized that the ultimate supremacy lies with it, and not with the king.
It is not just because of the Panama Leaks case that the Supreme Court is hearing, that I am making this statement. It is also because of the sudden behavioural change in the manner the Supreme Court has started conducting the business of justice that I am venturing to observe that Rome has finally been challenged.
And the challenge is coming from many directions now—most crucially from the awesome building close to the Parliament in Islamabad.
Martin Bormann, Hitler’s personal secretary was once asked: “What is the constitution of Germany?” Bormann sagely replied: “The will of the Fuherer.”
Khwaja Saad Rafique, Khwaja Asif, Danyal Aziz, Talal Chaudhry and the likes of them will also give similar answer, if similar question is asked of them.
But is the Will of the Fuherer still the Constitution of Pakistan?
The answer that is continuously rising from the building close to the parliament is NO.
On Thursday, Supreme Court of Chief Justice Saqib Nisar suspended cane-crushing at three sugar mills in Rahim Yar Khan, until Lahore High Court gives its verdict on a pending litigation concerning the Mills.
The mills—- Ittefaq Sugar Mills Ltd, Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills Ltd and Chaudhry Sugar Mills Ltd— are all owned by the ruling Sharif family.
It is known to the people that there was an embargo or ban on setting up of any new Sugar Mills in the region which is known as Cotton Belt. But the Sharif Family manipulated a ‘blunt’ violation of the ban by getting the rules relaxed.
In the eyes of the Judiciary this is clearly a case of “Conflict of Interest”, as the ruling family has exercised its administrative clout to enhance its business interests.
How will the Fuherer take this challenge from the LAW of the land?