'Not honest broker': Rabbani asks Alvi to stop creating political space for himself

Says if PDM had the required members in the National Assembly it should have impeached Alvi

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani said on Sunday that President Arif Alvi should stop trying to create political space for himself as this is in violation of the 1973 Constitution.

The former chairman Senate maintained that the president is not acceptable to political stakeholders for a political dialogue because he is “not an honest broker”.

In a press statement, Rabbani furthered that Alvi is the last person to talk on the appointment of the chief of army staff (COAS), considering the fiasco he and his government made the last time this appointment was made.

While referencing a presidential reference seeking Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s removal on account of alleged misconduct, the senator said the president can’t be part of an institutional dialogue because of the “mala fide references” sent by him.

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“Under the constitutional framework the president has no such role nor will the Parliament allow him to toy with the Constitution, 1973,” he added.

The PPP senior leader further stated that if the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had the required members in the National Assembly it shoukd have impeached Alvi.

He added that the president’s impeachment should be based on the following grounds: circumventing the parliament by promulgation of Ordinances, sending references with mala fide intent against judges of the superior judiciary, making legally flawed appointments on the advice of the prime minister in autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies which were struck down by courts, appointment of a member from Balochistan to the National Finance Commission that was set aside by the Balochistan High Court, removal of the ombudsman that was set aside by the Islamabad High Court, dissolving the National Assembly on the advice of a premier suffering under a disqualification under Article 95, Constitution, 1973 and under a false pretext failed to perform his constitutional obligation of administration of taking the oath of a new PM as well as acting like a political worker.

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The statement by the PPP senator comes a day after the federal government overcame its reluctance to the president’s address to the joint sitting of parliament and agreed to send him an official request in this regard.

A joint parliament session will be convened in the first week of October.