Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said on Sunday that there was no constitutional crisis after President Dr Arif Alvi's statement over the signing of the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, along with Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, the information minister said the bills were passed constitutionally and there was no ambiguity over President Arif Alvi’s statement.
He also noted that President Alvi had made the social media post through his personal account instead of his official account.
Solangi also refused to comment on a question regarding whether action should be taken against the officials Alvi had accused of defying him, saying that it was not up to him to decide.
Speaking on the occasion, the interim law minister said the caretaker government had no political mandate and that the president enjoyed immense respect as the head of state.
He explained that the Army Amendments Bill was passed by the Senate on July 27, by the National Assembly on July 31, and was sent to the president on August 2.
He added that the Official Secrets Act was passed by the National Assembly on August 1, but was sent back after objections from the Senate. It was passed by the Assembly again on August 7 and sent to President Alvi on August 8.
Aslam added that when a bill is sent to the president he has two options, one is to grant his assent. The other option is to give observations in writing so the parliament can consider his guidance.
"There is no third option," Aslam said, adding that the time limit to act on the bills is 10 days as per the constitution.
He added that the president had used both of the available options in the past and used his own signatures on the bills. He said that there had been no precedent during Arif Alvi’s tenure when the bills were returned without his signatures.
'As God is my witness': President denies signing Army Act
The presser comes after President Arif Alvi said that he “did not sign the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023” because he disagreed with these laws.
The president claimed that the staff undermined his “command and will.”
“As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws,” Alvi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The post, which raises more questions than it answers, was published on Sunday at 1:45 pm.
In response to President Alvi’s post, the Ministry of Law and Justice stated that it is an issue of “grave concern,“ adding that if he “had any observations, he could have returned the bills with his observations like he did in the recent and distant past.”
The president’s decision to tweet was questioned in the press release, which stated that “he could have also issued a press release to that effect.”
According to the statement, the “President should take responsibility for his own actions,” and “it is a matter of concern that the President has chosen to discredit his own officials.”
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