Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi, president of Pakistan Peoples Party Workers, along with Nahid Khan and Fayyaz Khan, has expressed deep concern and condemnation over recent court decisions that sentenced PTI chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case. The leadership warned that such measures, and the harsh punishments handed down by anti-terrorism courts to senior PTI figures including Mahmood ur Rasheed, Dr Yasmin Rashid — who is battling cancer — and former Punjab governor Umar Cheema, raise serious questions about selective justice and the protection of basic rights.
The use of anti-terrorism courts for political cases and the imposition of disproportionate sentences undermine transparent legal process, proportionality and fundamental human rights, including the constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful political dissent. Public perceptions of targeted application of accountability laws and curated judicial benches erode trust in the judicial system and create the impression of political revenge rather than impartial justice.
History offers a cautionary tale. The detention and trial of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 and his subsequent death sentence in 1979 remain a painful reminder of the consequences when judicial processes are influenced by political pressure. Admissions by a former chief justice about external pressure on that verdict underscore the danger of repeating past mistakes.
If Toshakhana rules are to be enforced, accountability must be universal, transparent and non-discriminatory. Every individual who benefited from Toshakhana items, whether civilian or military, past or present, should be treated equally under the law. A complete public record detailing the market value of items, amounts paid and legal basis for each transaction is necessary to restore credibility to the judicial process and ensure transparency.
The ongoing imprisonment of a former prime minister and prolonged detentions of senior political leaders are not solely internal matters; they signal troubling questions about Pakistan’s commitment to democratic values, political pluralism and the rule of law. Resolving political disputes through jails instead of parliamentary debate damages the country’s international standing and domestic cohesion.
Pakistan Peoples Party Workers insist that political differences must be resolved through dialogue, negotiation, constitutional channels and ultimately through free, fair and transparent elections, not through selective justice and enforced detention. Sustained democracy requires tolerance, fairness and respect for basic human rights.
The party calls on all state institutions to uphold the spirit of the 1973 Constitution, ensure equal application of law and prevent repetition of historical injustices that have inflicted deep harm on the nation. Pakistan needs reconciliation, not revenge; justice, not retaliation; and democracy, not dictatorship.
