PML-N seeks impeachment of president

Resolution also demands Article 6 proceedings against ex-PM, others

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) submitted a resolution on Thursday urging the Senate to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Arif Alvi in the wake of the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court on a suo motu case.

The resolution, submitted by Dr Afnanullah Khan, also demands proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution against the president, former prime minister Imran Khan, former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri and former law minister Fawad Chaudhry.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued detailed judgment of its earlier decision that struck down Suri’s ruling of dismissing the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the prime minister Imran as well as President Alvi’s order of dissolving the National Assembly.

Read SC judges urge parliament to initiate Article 6 against Imran, President Alvi, others

The top court had started suo moto proceedings after Suri rejected the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Imran under Article 5 of the Constitution [loyalty to state and obedience to Constitution and law)] on April 3.

Within minutes after Suri’s ruling, Imran in a televised address to the nation had announced that he had advised the president to dissolve the National Assembly so that fresh elections could be held in the country.

However, the Supreme Court in its short order on April 7 had struck down the ruling and ordered summoning of the National Assembly session for voting on the no-trust motion, which led to Imran’s ouster.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the detailed judgment, saying it “exposes the lies & propaganda indulged in by Imran Khan & Co.”, adding it is “utterly shameful how IK tried to undermine the Constitution & manufactured the lie of “regime change”.

In the resolution, the PML-N senator said that the Supreme Court judgment had outlined that lmran, Alvi, Suri and Chaudhry “blatantly transgressed the Constitution” when they didn’t allow the voting on the no-confidence motion.

“There must be severe consequences for this blatant transgression and the law must take its course,” the resolution said. “Therefore, the Senate of Pakistan should immediately initiate Article 6 proceedings against lmran Khan, Arif Alvi, Qasim Suri and Fawad Chaudhry.”

In addition, Khan said, “the House also calls upon the government to initiate impeachment proceedings against Arif Alvi as he is an alleged traitor and should not occupy the honourable position of the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”