The PML-N-led coalition government has decided to file a high treason case against President Arif Alvi, former prime minister Imran Khan, National Assembly ex-deputy speaker Qasim Suri and Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema for allegedly violating the constitution, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.
The TV channel quoting sources reported that interior and law ministries are preparing a reference under Article 6 of the Constitution against the key members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
President Avli and the former deputy speaker have been accused of abrogating the constitution at the behest of ex-PM Imran during the proceedings of the no-trust motion earlier this month. Likewise, Governor Cheema, who has refused to endorse election of Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz, is also accused of subverting the constitutional process in the provincial legislator. The authorities are obtaining statements of the accused and records of national and provincial assemblies, the TV channel report claimed. It also said that relevant court orders and judicial precedents will be attached with the reference to be filed in the Supreme Court.
Under the law, the federal government has the authority to take action under Article 6.
In a landmark unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court had on April 7 set aside the NA deputy speaker ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against then Premier Imran and the subsequent dissolution of the lower house of parliament by President Arif Alvi on the premier’s advice. “The ruling of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly in relation to the resolution for a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister under Article 95 of the Constitution is declared to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect, and the same are hereby set aside,” the top court had said in its short order.
The apex court had ruled that President Alvi’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly was also “contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect”. It had noted that the prime minister could not have advised the president to dissolve the assembly as he continued to remain under the bar imposed under Clause (1) of Article
58 of the Constitution.