SC urged to punish violators of Constitution

Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association Abdul Latif Afridi has appealed to the Supreme Court to punish those involved in violating the constitution of Pakistan and decide the case about the dissolution of the assembly as soon as possible.

Afridi said that dissolution of the national assembly before the voting on no confidence motion against the Prime Minister Imran Khan was unconstitutional.

Addressing a press conference at Peshawar Press Club along with other lawyers on Wednesday, he said that Imran Khan has created a constitutional crisis in the country. He appealed the Supreme Court to decide the case as soon as possible and punish those responsible for violating the constitution.

Afridi was accompanied by head of Islamic Lawyers Movement Fida Gul Advocate, members Bar Council Razaullah Khan, Taimur Ali Shah, Ubaidullah Anwar, Abdul Fayyaz, Sadiq Ali Momand, vice president Peshawar High Court Bar Association Rehmanullah, general secretary Qaisar Zaman, general secretary of Peshawar Bar Akbar Yousaf Khalil, Rafiq Momand of Marlgary Wakeelan, Farman Ali, Tariq Afghan Advocate, Jamaiat Lawyers Forum’s Jalaludin, Muslim League Lawyers Forum and Peoples Lawyers Forum leader Muhim Afridi and Farooq Shah.

“The ruling of the deputy speaker and the dissolution of the assembly is violation of the constitution of this country,” he said.

“We have nothing to do with Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazl or anyone else. Whoever is the prime minister, the rule of law and supremacy of constitution should be ensured in this country,” he said, adding that there is a procedure for no confidence motion under which voting is allowed in a peaceful environment.

“The PM is selected by this very house and if 50 per cent members of the parliament are not satisfied with his performance, then the PM should face it like a man,” he observed, adding that the deputy speaker adjourned the session by ignoring all the rules and regulations as well as the constitution.

“Everything was pre-planned by the prime minister and the president was ready for the signal from the PM to dissolve the parliament and announce fresh elections,” Afridi observed.

We will work for the supremacy of constitution, parliament and independent judiciary in Pakistan, he maintained, adding that the case is still in the Supreme Court and it should decide it as soon as possible instead of going into lengthy technicalities.

“We appeal to the court to punish those who violated the constitution of this country,” he said.

“Let me warn Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, special assistant to Chief Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) to stay away from labeling baseless allegations against the lawyers otherwise we will act accordingly,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2022.