Islamabad: Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, informed President Arif Alvi on Wednesday that the Opposition does not agree with the suggestion of appointing Justice (Retd) Gulzar Ahmed as the interim Prime Minister and that the process for the appointment issued by the head of the state was a “violation of law and Constitution”, Geo News reported.
In a letter, Sharif confirmed to the President that he had received the latter’s April 4 message regarding the appointment of a caretaker Prime Minister.
Sharif, who’s also the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), informed Alvi that the Speaker’s ruling on April 3 on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was a “blatant violation of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” and the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business” of the Lower House.
“The entire super-structure 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 the Prime Minister in office are all illegal, without lawful authority and of no legal effect,” wrote Shehbaz.
The former Opposition leader also informed President Alvi that the Supreme Court is holding suo motu hearings on the National Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling.
“Thus, the process of appointing a caretaker Prime Minister initiated by you under Article 224(1A) of the Continuation in a hurried manner is simply to defeat the process of law and Constitution without waiting for the decision in the sou motu case and petitions filed by combined Opposition parties and other petitions challenging the rejection of the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister and prorogation of requisitioned session of National Assembly by the Deputy Speaker and consequent dissolution of National Assembly by Prime Minister, which are still pending adjudication before the Supreme Court.
“Thus the start of the said process by you is not acceptable as it is violation of the law and Constitution and is subjudice,” wrote Shehbaz, Geo News reported.
The PML-N President also said that Gulzar Ahmed’s nomination as caretaker premier by Imran Khan was a “blatant attempt to subvert the provisions of the Constitution and to pre-empt the decision of the Supreme Court”.
He added that all issues, including the violation of Article 244 and 224A at this point, are “subjudice” and informed the President that the Opposition does not agree with the suggestion of appointing Gulzar Ahmed as the caretaker Prime Minister.
(IANS)
