Legal wizards under fire for making PTI ‘laughing stock’

Parliamentary party calls for accountability of govt legal team

ISLAMABAD: The government’s legal team received a verbal drubbing at the PTI’s Parliamentary Party meeting on Thursday where MPs faulted the legal wizards for repeated discrepancies in the summaries for the reappointment of the army chief leaving the government red-faced in the apex court.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi presided over the meeting as Prime Minister Imran Khan couldn’t show up at the huddle due to official engagements. Some participants, according to sources, were disappointed at the premier’s absence.

The Parliamentary Party convened hours after the Supreme Court gave the government six months on legislate on the extension in tenure or reappointment of the chief of the army staff.



The foreign minister briefed the PTI MPs about the current situation, and took them into confidence regarding the decisions taken by the prime minister.

The participants reposed confidence in the decisions of the prime minister and the judiciary, saying that the judiciary has always remained a strong pillar of the state. However, sources said, the MPs came down hard on the government’s legal team for its “disappointing performance”.

According to sources, there was near unanimity among the participants that the government’s legal team was incompetent which almost put the state institutions on the collision course due to its incompetence.

MP Noor Alam said the government’s legal team has made the ruling party a “laughing stock”. He blamed the legal team for creating a conflict among the state institutions.



Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq said the legal team proved itself to be “extremely incompetent”. He called for holding the legal team accountable for making the party the target of ridicule in the court.

In the light of the Supreme Court ruling, the PTI decided to initiate legislation immediately. “Legislation will remove ambiguity in Article 243 [of the Constitution],” Amir Dogar told the participants.

MP Akram Cheema expressed disappointment at the absence of Prime Minister Imran in the meeting. “This meeting has been long overdue, but regrettably the prime minister did not come,” he said.

Several members complained about lack of development funds. The foreign minister assured them that their problems would be addressed. He also called for an important meeting on Monday to review the issues faced by the parliamentary party members.