Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that the proposed amendment giving the prime minister immunity from criminal cases be withdrawn immediately.
In his statement, Shehbaz Sharif said he only found out about this amendment after returning from his official trip to Azerbaijan. He explained that once he was back, he was told that a few senators from his own party had submitted a clause in the Senate that suggested giving the prime minister protection from criminal proceedings.
According to Sharif, this proposal was not included in the draft that had earlier been approved by the federal cabinet. He made it clear that this clause was added without his knowledge or approval.
Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the intentions of the senators, saying that they may have acted out of goodwill.
However, he stressed that such an amendment goes against the principles he believes in. He reminded everyone that the office of the prime minister is a public position, and therefore, it should remain open to legal scrutiny just like any other.
The prime minister said that an elected leader must always remain answerable to the law as well as to the people who elect them. Granting immunity, he added, sends the wrong message and weakens democratic values.
He firmly instructed the concerned senators to withdraw the amendment without any delay. Sharif concluded that accountability is essential in a democracy and that no one, including the prime minister, should be placed above the law.
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