Opposition Leader Asks ‘Pakistanis To Uphold, Protect Constitution’ Together
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that nomination of former CJP Gulzar Ahmed as caretaker prime minister was a “blatant attempt to subvert the Constitution”.
He said the Supreme Court was yet to decide on the rejection of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the dissolution of the National Assembly. After National Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Qasim Shah Suri threw out the no-trust motion and President Dr Arif Alvi dissolved the NA on advice of PM Imran Khan, President Alvi wrote a letter to the prime minister and Shehbaz to propose names of suitable persons for appointment as caretaker prime minister under Article 224-A(1)of the Constitution. The premier had put forward Justice (retd) Gulzar Ahmed’s name for the post. Subsequently, the president wrote another letter to the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif, informing him of the nomination and asking him to either agree with it or present his own nominee by April 6. “If no response is received within the stipulated time, the appointment of caretaker prime minister will be processed in accordance with the Constitution,” the letter read.
Earlier on Wednesday, Shehbaz wrote a letter to the president, acknowledging that he received the letter on April 6 but argued that the former CJP Gulzar’s name cannot be agreed upon while the previous setup’s status was still being debated in the court. “I may state at the very outset that the ruling of the assembly speaker regarding the joint opposition’s resolution for a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister is a blatant violation of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, not to mention the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007,” it stated. “The entire superstructure built thereon, including all consequential notifications relating to dismissal of the resolution, advice of the prime minister regarding dissolution of the National Assembly, and continuation of prime minister in office are all illegal, without lawful authority and of no legal affect,” he contended.