ISLAMABAD – The nomination of Justice (r) Nasirul Mulk as the caretakerprime minister of the country has set the tongues wagging regarding therole of the former top judge during the twin sit-ins staged in 2014.
Interestingly, the judge in question was repeatedly named by seasonedpolitician Javed Hashmi who had alleged that a new government would beformed under his authority and the incumbent government (of PML-N) would bedissolved.
Hashmi had made the claims citing the statements of his former boss andPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Imran Khan after he left the party in2014.
“Imran Khan had predicted during the sit-in that Justice Nasirul Mulk wouldreplace Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani and dissolve assemblies under theSupreme Court. He said a new government would then be installed with PTIemerging victorious in elections,” Javed Hashmi had reiterated in Januarylast year.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had denied any such assertions,claiming that the sit-in was for a thorough probe into the riggingelections, instead of toppling the regime.
At one end Hashmi cast aspirations over the role of Nasirul Mulk, while onthe other end, the same judge handed down verdicts, diametrically oppositeto the allegations.
On August 15, 2014, then chief justice Nasirul Mulk passes an order barringall state functionaries from taking any extra-constitutional steps in theprevailing situation, providing succour to then embattled government.
Additionally, Justice Nasir was also heading the bench that had rejectedthe plea to disqualify then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for lying on thefloor of the National Assembly.
Moreover, the judicial bigwig also accepted the task of investigatingrigging claims in the last general elections along with fellow judges andafter a thorough probe spanning 86 days, the outgoing CJ rejected therigging allegations; the judge dealt a devastating blow on PTI.
He was also heading the bench which disqualified former prime ministerYousaf Raza Gilani, after finding him guilty of contempt of court forrefusing to reopen corruption cases against then president Asif Ali Zardari.
Nasirul Mulk was sworn in as the top judge of the country on July 6th, 2014and put his gavel away on August 16, 2015; the 13-month stint was wellpraised by the judicial fraternity of the country because the judgeexercised judicial restraint and avoided taking too many suo-moto notices.
The former top judge traces his origin to the serene valley of Swat andwould be taking charge as the caretaker prime minister of the country afterthe incumbent government completes its stint on May 31st.
Although the allegations of Javed Hashmi have been apparently found to beunfounded as no martial law was imposed by the judge in 2014, even then thehigh-profile appointment has once again sparked the debate whether Hashmi’sallegations were truthful or not.