Fawad sees SC verdict as death knell for Shehbaz, Hamza’s reigns

PTI leader says premier, Punjab CM have lost majority after top court's decision on interpretation of Article 63A

ISLAMABAD:

Former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz to step down from their posts after the verdict of the Supreme Court against dissenting lawmakers.

The former information minister while talking to The Express Tribune said that the apex court’s decision will not only have impact on the provincial government but it would jolt the federal government, as well as two lawmakers of the PML-Q, could also face defection clause.

In line with the top court’s decision, Chaudhry said that PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi can issue notices to two PML-Q lawmakers; Minister for the Board of Investment, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, and the Minister for National Food Security and Research, Tariq Bashir Cheema.

Referring to the government’s total 174 votes in the National Assembly, Chaudhry said that the government currently has 170 votes if the vote of NA speaker, deceased member of MQM-P and two members of PML-Q were not counted, claiming another lawmaker could also leave the government and that would bring the number down to 169. He refrained from naming the lawmaker but reiterated that the government didn’t have simple majority in NA.

لوٹے اب اسمبلی کیلئے بیکار ہو گئے صرف واش روم میں رکھے جائینگے #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 17, 2022

Political experts, however, said that the government still has 172 votes, excluding the vote of NA speaker and the vote of the MQM-P lawmakers, saying the PML-Q’s president was Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and only he could issue defection notice to any party members.

Also read: Dissenting lawmakers’ vote will not be counted: Supreme Court

Besides, they said, the defection clause applies only when the party members have violated the party direction, saying it can apply in future if the Prime Minister is asked to take a vote of confidence from the House but not now. The PML-Q ministers were approached but they didn’t reply to text messages.

Earlier in the day, the top court ruled that the vote of rebel parliamentarians will not be counted in parliament as it expressed its opinion on the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63A of the Constitution.

“Both Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz have lost their majority following today’s verdict,” Fawad said while talking to media persons soon after the verdict was announced.

He added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders should resign forthwith as it was proven that the vote of the dissenting lawmakers would not be counted.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader said that both the federal and the provincial governments stood dissolved in the aftermath of the key verdict.

According to Fawad, the Supreme Court had approved the PTI’s stance pertaining to its dissident lawmakers.

"From where I see it, assemblies are going to be dissolved and the country is moving towards fresh elections.”

The former minister also advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the assemblies. “Our main demand is fresh elections and we will continue to have the existing approach until they are held,” he maintained.

In its decision, the apex court also stated that the fate of the Punjab government hanged in the balance as it was formed with the help of dissenting PTI lawmakers.

In March, President Alvi had sent the reference on the advice of then Prime Minister Imran Khan seeking interpretation of Article 63A regarding its application of defecting parliamentarians.

Fawad told The Express Tribune that the decision will also have an impact on two lawmakers of the PML-Q as they face a defection clause.

Fawad said PML-Q leader Pervaiz Elahi could issue notices to the two lawmakers; Minister for the Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema.

Referring to the government’s total 174 votes in the National Assembly, Chaudhry said that the government currently has 170 votes if the vote of NA speaker, deceased member of MQM-P and two members of PML-Q were not counted, claiming another lawmaker could also leave the government and that would bring the number down to 169. He refrained from naming the lawmaker but reiterated that the government didn’t have simple majority in NA.

The PML-Q ministers were approached but they didn’t reply to text messages.