Politics

‘Constitutional amendment or elections’, PTI tells govt

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Fawad says govt’s attitude of not following Constitution unacceptable.
“The government plans to create anarchy in the country,” says Qureshi.
PTI vice chairman says his party will abide by Supreme Court’s verdict.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry told the government Wednesday to either amend the Constitution or hold elections to the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in line with the Supreme Court’s order.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is saying elections should be held in October, whereas the Constitution says polls should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies,” he said in a tweet.

Therefore, the government should either take the matter to the Parliament and amend the Constitution by a two-thirds majority or hold the elections.

شہباز شریف کہ رہے ہیں کہ انتخابات اکتوبر میں ہونے چاہئیں آئین کہتا ہے کہ اسمبلیاں ٹوٹنے کے نوے دن کے اندر الیکشن ہونے ہیں کابینہ اپنا فیصلہ پارلیمان کو بھیج دے اور دو تہائ اکثریت سے آئین کو بدل لے دوسری صورت میں پنجاب اور خیبرپختونخواہ میں سپریم کورٹ کے حکم کے مطابق الیکشن…
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 26, 2023

“The Constitution cannot be suspended through mere statements and resolutions. The attitude of not following the Constitution is unacceptable.”

The PTI had dissolved the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in January in a bid to force early general elections but the Shehbaz-led government has not given in to the demand.

The Supreme Court, while taking suo motu notice, directed that polls in Punjab be held on May 14. Following the verdict, the Ministry of Defence filed a petition in the apex court, requesting it to take back its earlier decision and direct that election across the country be held on the same day. However, the ministry’s petition was declared inadmissible for hearing.

In the latest hearing on elections, the SC directed the ruling coalition and the PTI to hold talks and reach a consensus on the date for polls, and to update it on the outcome on April 27.

In this regard, PM Shehbaz convened a meeting of the ruling allies today, after which he announced the matter would be referred to a parliamentary committee.

He also said that the Supreme Court does “not have the power to act as arbitrator” between the government and the PTI. “The Supreme Court’s job is not to act as a panchayat but to announce verdicts in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” the premier said.

Reacting to the comments, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the apex court was indeed not a panchayat and announced the verdict in the case of the election after interpreting the Constitution.

Talking to a private news channel, he noted that the SC asked political parties to discuss a date for elections. “Ministers promised [to do it] … but the government refuses to implement the Supreme Court’s verdict.

“The government plans to create anarchy in the country,” he alleged.

He accused National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf of partiality, adding that the government’s intentions were “not sincere” and it was inching towards violating the Constitution.

PTI leaders would appear in court hearings and abide by the SC’s verdict, he iterated.

Latest News

Sheikh Rashid claims he doesn’t communicate with the PTI’s founder or any other leader.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the president of the Pakistan Awami Muslim League and former interior minister, claims not to be in contact with the founder or any other leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

In an interview with media outside the anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, he said that only Shibli Faraz was qualified to discuss talks between the PTI and the Establishment.

Regarding the deputy prime minister position, he stated that Pakistan’s constitution did not contain such a clause. He chided that “only the Jati Umra constitution offers the slot of deputy prime minister.”

He predicted that Pakistan would have an economic crisis within the next two months. “Industrialists are already facing tough conditions and now growers are up in arms,” he claimed.

He claimed that the purchasing of wheat had not yet started and that the general public’s financial situation was appalling.

The former federal minister reaffirmed that prisoners should be released from custody if they are innocent and unrelated to crimes.

He requested that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) be made aware of the wheat scam right now.

The following two months would be critical for Pakistani politics, thus he asked the administration to reconsider its policy.

Latest News

“I never left PTI,” says Fawad Chaudhry, doing a U-turn.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Fawad Chaudhry, a former federal minister, claimed that he remained a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Speaking to the media outside Rawalpindi’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday, the former minister claimed that the current administration lacks credibility because of its stance on the Form-47.

The senior lawmaker declared, “If Maulana Fazl ur Rehman and PTI join hands, the government cannot even last for three months.”

He went on to say that an election that was manipulated led to the formation of the administration.

“We want to bring down the political temperature because we are going through a difficult time,” Fawad stated.

The former minister claimed he had not yet shared his narrative because he would do so at the appropriate moment.

“I’m very happy to have met all of my pals today. May we all go forward towards a typical circumstance,” he said in closing.

The prominent politician had previously stated that she left PTI following the bloodshed on May 9 of last year.

In a news conference last year, Fawad Chaudhry, the senior vice president of PTI, announced his departure from the organisation and his intention to take a sabbatical from politics.

Latest News

The nomination of Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister raises concerns.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

A lot of doubts have been raised by Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister, being appointed deputy prime minister.

No reference to the Constitution, regulations, or any other law was mentioned in the Cabinet Division’s notification of the appointment.

What powers Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used to designate Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister has come under scrutiny in light of this.

There are questions about the legal foundation for the deputy prime minister’s nomination as it appears from the notification’s phrasing that rules for the position have not yet been established, according to insiders.

Likewise, the announcement is vague about the deputy prime minister’s proposed authority.

Deputy prime minister would be purely symbolic, according to government sources, and would not be authorized to carry out prime ministerial duties. In Pakistan, the deputy prime minister has previously been nominated.

The PPP administration appointed Chaudhry Parvez Elahi as deputy prime minister.

Observe that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was appointed deputy prime minister on Sunday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s consent; the Cabinet Division formally announced the appointment.

Dar holds the position of Pakistan’s fourth deputy prime minister. Previous appointments to the position of deputy prime ministers included Parvez Elahi, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Begum Nusrat Bhutto.