The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) isn’t coming slow on its move to slap a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as another federal minister came in support of the government’s potential move.
Turning up the political heat, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar put his weight behind the government’s plan to ban the Imran Khan-founded party.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, addressing a press conference in Islamabad on July 15, announced the PML-N-led government’s decision to ban the former ruling party as well as file references against former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-president Arif Alvi for treason under Article 6 for their involvement in the dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022.
Expressing his opinion in a statement today, the federal minister also defended the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) proposal to appoint retired jurists in the Supreme Court as ad hoc judges, saying that the country’s Constitution allows such appointments.
The issue of invoking Article 6 against the PTI leaders could be brought before the Parliament House for a debate by lawmakers, he added.”There is a genuine case of Article 6 against the PTI leaders as the Constitution was violated by dissolving the [National] Assembly in the presence of a no-confidence motion.”
The decision to ban the PTI, the law minister said, was not taken last year only to maintain the political environment in the country.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, who chairs the JCP, had nominated four judges — Justice (retd) Mushir Alam, Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir, Justice (retd) Mazhar Alam Miankhel, and Justice (retd) Sardar Tariq Masood — as ad hoc judges in the Supreme Court. However, two judges, Justice Mushir and Justice Baqir, have so far declined the offer.
Talking to Geo News today, Justice (retd) Baqar said he was deciding against becoming an ad hoc judge due to “personal reasons”.However, he mentioned that the appointment of ad hoc judges to the apex court is in line with the law and that criticism is “baseless”.
Meanwhile, Justice (retd) Alam’s letter addressed to the JCP chairman, states: “After careful deliberation, under present circumstances, it is with a heavy heart that I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept this esteemed appointment.”
