No Sacred Cows

The mood at Rayyan’s, a pebble’s throw from the Supreme Court is more than jovial, where Chaudry Sardar Sayein, advisor to the National Bar Council is holding court.

At the table are Farooq H. Naek, former Senate chairman (2009-12), who routinely represents former president Asif Ali Zardari, and Akran Sheikh, legal counsel for Nawaz Sharif.

They are thrilled that a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, comprising Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Ijazul Ahsan had summoned Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government's inaction against those responsible for the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack and the on-going talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The attack, which took 147 lives, 132 of them children, had happened four years before he had taken office.

Sayein, mock-toasting Sheikh with his cup of teach, “Your Nawaz’s sins fell into Imran’s account…”

Sheikh is quick to add, “And my friend Farooq’s client Asif Zardari’s too! No discussion on giving free pass to the Americans to drone Pakistanis.”

Sayein, taking a big slurp, adds, “Imran was lectured and not allowed a word! Akram, and the CJ did not entertain [attorney general] Khalid Jawed Khan’s suggestion that it would have been very easy to register a case against Nawaz Sharif and [then-interior minister] Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Instead, the court summoned Imran.

“[once again mock-toasting] the court paid no heed to Imran’s old story that he had opposed Pakistan's involvement in the America’s war on terror during [former military ruler retired] Gen. Musharraf's rule. Nor did they give ear to his observation that Pakistan would have to contend with security issues until the Afghanistan situation stabilized.”

Naek returning the mock-toast adds, “Now you see why our chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari keeps reminding that Imran is incompetent. If he was an Asif Zardari level political master, he could have simply said the PML-N was in power then, and would have laid it on Nawaz and Chaudhury Nisar…”

Sheikh, upon hearing his client mentioned, offers, “Yes, my client would have laid it on your client that he gave Americans the go ahead to drone Pakistanis!”

The ebullient Sayein chirps, “All three [judges] kept grilling and gave no heed to his request for a chance to speak, when they had been summoned him for the hearing.

“To top it all, they brushed aside his question that it needs to be determined why 80,000 people were killed and who is responsible for 480 drone attacks taking place in Pakistan.

“Farooq and Akram, your clients were never touched… you should be treating me to a full course dinner at the Tuscany Courtyard. A celebration is due."

Sheikh somberly offers, “Dear honorable Chaudry Sardar Sayein, it is too early to celebrate. Did you hear that Imran asked the court to pass orders spelling out the offenders as well as the punishments as, we know that it is only their prerogative?

“What I fear is that when Imran returns with the report in four weeks, he will name names… Farooq, your and my clients…

“Wasn’t Imran questioning them when he raised the 80,000 deaths issue that you have no right to question if you could not clean up the mess which was made earlier. And his no holy cows mention also hints at that…. there were no ‘holy cows’ among the names provided by the parents of the victims, and put the ball their court, ‘You issue orders, and we will take action.’

“You know how APS parents have named Musharraf and other leadership. But the report the court is referring to, does not hold the former army chief and other senior government officials responsible for the attack.”

Sayein offers, “Both of you need not worry. Your clients are real men. Remember in 1997, when Sajjad Ali Shah, then chief justice, summoned Nawaz, he got them fixed up.”

Naek quickly adds, “Our party is a party of sacrifices. Remember our Yousaf Reza Gilani sacrificed his prime minister’s office in 2012 but did not write to the Swiss government regarding charges against my client despite the Supreme Court’s order.

“Akram and Sayein you too agree that our judges will continue to prove Imran Khan wrong that there no sacred cows in the country.”