Former President Supreme Court Bar Association and PPP leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan has said that the President enjoys constitutional immunity on criminal cases but any person could initiate civil cases against him. While talking to the journalists at Lahore High Court premises, Aitzaz made it clear that the President had been given unconditional protection under the article 248(2) and even the Supreme Court could not clip this exemption.
He pointed out that there was no ambiguity in the constitutional provisions on the subject. Almost every head of state around the globe enjoyed such immunity, he added. Dispelling the impression that he had changed his position on presidential immunity, he said he had extended the same arguments before the 17-member SC bench in 2007.
Responding to a question, Aitzaz said the President could only be removed by way of impeachment and this option is open to all the political parties in the Parliament. On the question that how could the looted money be recovered, he said money could be brought back to country through the civil suits. He termed the convening of lawyers' national co-ordination meeting a wrong decision, adding that Prime Minister had reiterated time and again that the government was ready to implement the SC order in letter and spirit.