ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said former prime minister Imran Khan could face treason charges for undermining the Constitution to prevent his ouster from the power through the vote of the no-confidence motion.

While talking to the media, she said Imran Khan asked the “neutrals” to intervene which is against the law and he could be charged under Article 6 for violating the Constitution.

She argued that Khan did not dissolve the national and provincial assemblies and initiate an inquiry by setting up a commission on the so-called foreign conspiracy if he received the cypher on March 8.

She said if he knew on March 8 that a foreign conspiracy had been hatched against his government, he should have formed the commission at once.

He did not do that knowing “the lie” would be caught, she added. He started propagating after foreseeing his imminent defeat in the no-confidence motion tabled by the then opposition in the National Assembly.

Responding to the PTI’s chief announcement for challenging the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s decision on the Punjab chief minister’s election, the minister said the decision has been taken by the courts.

According to that decision of the apex court, she said Imran Khan did violate the Constitution by influencing the NA Speaker, Governor Punjab, and other representatives of the government, while the ruling of the then deputy speaker was declared unconstitutional.

Imran Khan did contempt of the apex court by inciting his workers to violate the orders and reach the D-Chowk during the long march of May 25, she added.

She regretted that the media misreported the LHC’s decision on the election of the CM Punjab. “This is not a good tradition as it is tantamount to disinformation and the public was misled through misreporting on the matter.”

“The media has to take the responsibility,” she said, adding CM Punjab Hamza Shehbaz had not been removed from the office, nor was his election declared null and void, and also Usman Buzdar was not restored as CM Punjab.

According to Article 130, Section 4, she said it was the continuation of the previous election under which the CM had to get elected by securing a majority vote in the assembly. “Hamza Shehbaz Sahib is CM Punjab until the re-voting, which is scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) 4pm.”

All the decisions, which would be taken by Hamza as CM Punjab till 4pm, were protected by the law and Constitution, she maintained.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022