No law restricts president from political participation: Awan
Former law minister says the constitution does not bar the President of Pakistan from participating in politics.
ISLAMABAD:
Former Federal Law Minister Babar Awan on Thursday said that there is no law in Pakistan which restricts the president from participating in politics.
Speaking on the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict which ordered the president to suspend political activities, Awan said that the constitution did not bar the President of Pakistan from participating in politics. He cited Article 17 of the constitution and said that every citizen of Pakistan had the right to participate in politics.
He said that the Parliament of Pakistan composed of three parts, which included the National Assembly, the Senate and the President, and that if both houses were political it would be the first time in the world that the third part was not allowed to do politics.
“There is no given definition of what politics is in the constitution,” said Awan.
The former law minister said that the framers of the constitution knew how the president was to be elected, stating that political parties come into power and select a person who has political influence as president. He added that the president was the only one who was elected through a political vote, also saying that it was a “political seat” according to the constitution.
Former Federal Law Minister Babar Awan on Thursday said that there is no law in Pakistan which restricts the president from participating in politics.
Speaking on the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict which ordered the president to suspend political activities, Awan said that the constitution did not bar the President of Pakistan from participating in politics. He cited Article 17 of the constitution and said that every citizen of Pakistan had the right to participate in politics.
He said that the Parliament of Pakistan composed of three parts, which included the National Assembly, the Senate and the President, and that if both houses were political it would be the first time in the world that the third part was not allowed to do politics.
“There is no given definition of what politics is in the constitution,” said Awan.
The former law minister said that the framers of the constitution knew how the president was to be elected, stating that political parties come into power and select a person who has political influence as president. He added that the president was the only one who was elected through a political vote, also saying that it was a “political seat” according to the constitution.