PM has no authority to impose emergency, governor rule after 'losing majority': Fazl

JUI-F chief says PM's former aide assigned as WB director through 'nepotism'

ISLAMABAD:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has no authority to impose an emergency or governor’s rule as he has 'lost the support of the majority'.

On Thursday, the nation’s security czar Sheikh Rashid advised PM Imran to impose governor’s rule in the province of Sindh after the open show of dissent by PTI lawmakers, hiding on the pretext of seeking refuge in Islamabad’s Sindh House ahead of the no-confidence vote against the prime minister.

Fazl, referring to senior appointments and transfers by the incumbent government, said that after the no-trust motion, any transfer or appointment by the premier or the government would be unconstitutional.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement chief further said that any kind of posting, appointment or withdrawal by the premier would be considered wrong and would also be resisted.

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The JUI-F chief’s remarks come after PM Imran assigned his principal secretary Azam Khan as the executive director of World Bank, which Fazl claimed was a clear example of “nepotism” and that Azam had been 'involved in both good and bad deeds'.

PM Imran appointed Azam as the executive director of the World Bank for a term of four years by short-circuiting a process that requires interviews and tests of candidates.

Sources said that the summary to appoint Azam in the World Bank was prepared in the office of the economic affairs secretary and the concerned wing was not involved in the process.

Instead of sending the summary through the Establishment Division, the summary was directly sent to the PM Office without fulfilling the procedural requirements, said the sources.