ISLAMABAD- Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif continued his criticism ofChief Justice (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday, only hours after PrimeMinister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called on the CJP in an apparent bid todefuse tensions between the executive and judiciary.

“The tamasha [circus] that you are seeing here cannot go on for long,”Sharif said while talking to reporters after his appearance at anaccountability court in Islamabad.

Repeatedly asked about the surprise meeting between the prime minister andCJP, Sharif avoided the question and instead chose to criticise JusticeNisar.

“I cannot say for sure but I think that we were the [real] target” of theSupreme Court’s scrutiny of medical colleges and visits to hospitals. Heexplained that this was because his family runs the Sharif Medical Citywhich is a charitable institution.

He added that it appeared that the purpose of the scrutiny was to implicatehis family but it could not be fulfilled as nothing incriminating waspresent against them.

Sharif claimed that first the role of the parliament slipped into “hands ofothers” as he was removed from PML-N presidency by striking down theprovisions of Elections Act 2017 and now the role of the executive has alsobeen allegedly taken in control by the CJP because of his suo motu actions.

“Feel free to take action [on public issues] but also do something aboutthe 1.8 million cases pending in different courts,” Sharif said.

Sharif, his family and aide Ishaq Dar are facing multiple corruptionreferences filed on orders of SC in the Panama Papers verdict which alsodisqualified the thrice prime minister from holding public office. Sharifwas later also removed as the PML-N’s president after being re-electedfollowing the Elections Act 2017 coming into force when the SC held that adisqualified person cannot become a party head in any capacity.