Govt asks president to review decision,
Islamabad_Blasting him for not convening the National Assembly’s inaugural session, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said President Arif Alvi wasn’t suitable for the office and many legal issues would create problems for him.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has warned that outgoing President Arif Alvi could face legal consequences for some of his actions as head of state which the former described as “unconstitutional”.
“I am looking forward to seeing Alvi seeing our teeth after next week as the presidency is not his cup of tea,” Bilawal told reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Tuesday.
He was responding to a query related to the president’s decision to not sign a summary for summoning the National Assembly session to swear in newly elected public representatives and elect the new prime minister.
Reports said that Alvi maintained that the lower House of Parliament was incomplete without the allocation of reserved seats.
The notification of the Election Commission of Pakistan pertaining to the allotment of reserved seats for the Sunni Ittehad Council, which was joined by a large number of PTI backed independent candidates after elections, is still pending. The matter is in the ECP that would take the matter on Wednesday.
“You know that the president has the immunity. I think there are many cases which will be legal issues for Alvi. It will start from that night when Alvi broke the Constitution and despite our vote of no-confidence dissolved the assembly,” Bilawal said.
He went on to add that the president was not fulfilling his duty by not summoning the NA session by February 29.
“So now it is expected that not just the case for breaking the Constitution at the time of no-confidence vote but also for not summoning the assembly session by not following the Constitution. It can also be a case. I think there will be no effect on the formation of government because the constitutional duty is there. If he cannot then I hope the NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf will do that.”
PPP chairman says politicians must prioritise mutual respect and cooperation,
Highlighting the need for political reconciliation, Bhutto underscored the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) inclusion in the process initiated by Asif Zardari. He stressed the significance of rectifying historical injustices, citing the impending Bhutto reference decision as a pivotal step towards closure.
“Politicians must prioritise mutual respect and cooperation,” stated Bilawal Bhutto, cautioning against undermining democratic institutions. “Failure to uphold mutual respect will perpetuate the cycle of discord for generations.”
Reflecting on political strategies, Bhutto defended his party’s decision to engage in political alliances despite lacking a governing mandate. “We opted for stability over indifference,” he affirmed, acknowledging the economic and democratic repercussions of political instability.
While,
The federal government and President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday locked horns over the National Assembly session on Tuesday.
Hitting out at the president, the federal government opined: “There is nowhere in Article 91 that the NA session cannot be convened if the parliament is not complete.”
“The president has no authority to stop the NA session, according to Article 54. It is not the ordinary, but the extraordinary session is all about demanding the fulfilment of the constitutional requirements,” said the government.
The centre was of the view that it was mentioned nowhere in the constitution that the NA session could not be summoned if there were no reserved seats.
Sources revealed that the federal government had asked the president to review his decision.
“According to clause 2 of Article 91, convening the NA session following the elections after 24 days is compulsory. The NA session will be held on February 29, even if the president does not convene a meeting on this date,” the federal government stated.
As President Alvi returns summary, speaker calls NA session on Feb 29
PPP leader Shazia Marri emphasised on Sunday that President Dr Arif Alvi must convene a session of the National Assembly based on the prime minister’s summary.
Stressing the importance of adherence to the constitution over personal allegiances, Shazia said: “The country’s president should prioritise constitutional obligations”.
“In the past, it was the president who, in an unconstitutional move, dissolved the assembly”.
She urged the current president to “refrain from manipulating the constitution”, as witnessed in historical instances.
The PPP stalwart maintained, “Any violation of the constitution or misuse of presidential powers by President Arif Alvi will be recorded in history”.
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