ISLAMABAD, Apr 3 (APP): Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday asked President Arif Alvi to sign the Practice and Procedure Bill, 2023 which had been passed by both houses of the Parliament.
Speaking in the National Assembly, the minister said the bill had been pending with the president for the last four days, and he should fulfill his constitutional duty and sign it as required by the Constitution
On the occasion, he also recalled the unconstitutional steps by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership at the time of their ouster from power.
As regards the suo motu case regarding the polls’ delay in Punjab, Tarar reiterated the demand for a full court bench of the Supreme Court to decide upon the matter. Collective wisdom was needed to avert the looming constitutional and stop further deteriorating the prevailing economic and political crises.
He regretted that the suo motu proceedings were initiated by a nine-member SC bench, which had been relegated to three members. Justice Mandokhail, one of the senior judges on the bench, recused himself from hearing the case.
Whether the verdict announced by the three-member bench would be acceptable to the nation or implementable, the minister questioned.
He was of the view that general elections across the country should be held simultaneously for the sake of political and economic stability.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said, had postponed the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa keeping in view the security, political and economic challenges faced by Pakistan at the current juncture.
Tarar said Article 224 asked for the general elections at the same time across the country, while as per Article 254 polls could be postponed due to the extraordinary situation.
“The ECP has the mandate to adjust the schedule of the election keeping in view the ground realities” he added.
The minister viewed that the Election Commission had announced the date of the election in October after hearing all the stakeholders.
“There were several examples in the past when elections were postponed due to certain reasons,” he added.
Tarar said two provincial assemblies were dissolved by the PTI-led governments in January just to satisfy the ego of one person, i.e., PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
