The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) organised a

sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

protest and demonstration outside the

Pakistan Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pakistan ( ur, ; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance to thePart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it has ultimate a ...

in May 2023 in the Pakistani capital city

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

. The ongoing dispute between the Pakistani government and the judiciary erupted into a sit-in protest of what were allegedly "undue favours" given to the former prime minister

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

. The

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (Fazl) also Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) or simply as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Urdu: ; ; JUI-F) is a Deobandi Sunni political party in Pakistan. Established as the ''Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam'' in 1945, it is the result o ...

(JUI-F) party, one of the 13 members of the government coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, was primarily in charge of the demonstration, which got underway since 15 May 2023.

Background

Since earlier in the year when differences erupted over the timing of provincial elections, tensions between the government and the court have been escalating.

was arrested in a false corruption case, but the situation worsened after the Supreme Court said on 9 May 2023 that it was "illegal." Khan was granted protection from further arrest until a later date as a result of this ruling, which allowed for his release on bail on 12 May. Bushra Bibi, Khan's wife, was also given bail in the same case until 23 May. The ruling parties have accused the judiciary of bias in favour of Khan, their chief political rival, as a result of these developments. On 15 May 2023, the ruling coalition assembled in parliament and issued a motion accusing Pakistan's Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial of "misconduct." Along with the sit-in demonstration outside the Supreme Court by pro-government protesters, this unusual resolution against the chief judge in parliament indicates the escalating hostilities between the executive branch and the judiciary.

Reactions

was allegedly given preferential treatment by the judiciary, according to the ruling coalition, especially Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif referred to this as a "death of justice" and emphasised what he believed to be unfair justice practises. Imran Khan was invited to court for a hearing rather than summoned, according to Federal Information Minister

Marriyum Aurangzeb Marriyum Aurangzeb ( ur, ) is a Pakistani politician from Pakistan Muslim League (N) who is a member of the National Assembly. She is current federal minister of Information & Broadcasting in Shehbaz Sharif ministry. Aurangzeb served as the ...

, who also backed the courts. She criticised the Supreme Court's rulings and said that they were biassed in Khan's favour. She also claimed that the Supreme Court had some influence over the Islamabad High Court, which gave Khan bail. The niece of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a prominent member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party,

Maryam Nawaz Sharif Maryam Nawaz Sharif ( Punjabi and ; born 28 October 1973), also known as Maryam Safdar, is a Pakistani politician and the daughter of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. She was initially involved in the family's philanthropic orga ...

, expressed her concerns on the judiciary's supposed contribution to the demise of the nation. She blasted Chief Justice Bandial and claimed that the court had helped Imran Khan further his political aspirations. She demanded that democracy be strengthened and that there be fair political competition.

References

2023 in Pakistani politics May 2023 events in Pakistan Protests in Pakistan Political controversies in Pakistan Pakistan Democratic Movement Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Supreme Court of Pakistan Imran Khan {{Poli-stub