ISLAMABAD: The federal government has initiated a process of filing references against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership following a Supreme Court’s verdict in the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling case.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government had started working on filing a reference under Article 6 as it has the authority to file cases under Articles 5 and 6.
The interior minister said the apex court wrote the words ‘blatant violation’ in its judgement which had led to PTI chairman Imran Khan’s political demise.
Rana Sanaullah also demanded resignation from President Dr Arif Alvi following the apex court’s order, saying that former prime minister Imran Khan’s politics has come to an end. Imran Khan put the national interest at stake and tried to undermine the Constitution in a bid to save his power, he alleged.
The apex court issued its detailed judgment in the suo moto case on former deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling on the no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan and said it was not satisfied with the proof as insufficient evidence was presented to support the PTI’s claim of foreign interference.
In an additional note, Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel observed that President Arif Alvi, then PM Khan, then NA speaker Asad Qaiser, ex-deputy speaker, and former law minister Chaudhry had misused their authority.
“Whether these acts attract Article 6 of the Constitution (high treason) is also left open to be determined by the parliamentarians to ponder whether they should leave open the doors to such unconstitutional acts or take suitable measures to stop such a mess in future,” he had suggested.
Sanaullah added that he was ready to arrest the PTI chairman and an application for registration of a case against the ex-premier was pending with the federal cabinet.
He said the National Assembly speaker is bound to file a reference against the individuals named in the verdict with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), adding that the electoral watchdog should disqualify them in accordance with the law.
The interior minister further said the apex court had given a historic judgement on the former deputy speaker’s ruling. The decision had accepted the rule of law and the rule of the people, he added.
The federal minister disclosed that he intended to arrest Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed during the PTI’s long march. “However, Rasheed was nowhere to be found,” he added.
The interior minister told PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry that the SC’s decision cannot be abolished.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022