Pakistan: PM Shehbaz criticises President Alvi for returning SC bill, calls him "PTI worker"

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 9 : Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday criticised President Dr Arif Alvi for returning Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, unsigned and called him a worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reported Geo News.

"President Alvi returning the Supreme Court Bill duly passed by Parliament is most unfortunate," the prime minister said in a hard-hitting tweet hours after the president returned the bill to the legislature.

The bill is aimed at curtailing the powers of the chief justice including the suo motu and the formation of benches. The PTI has strongly condemned the move to pass the legislation and said it is an "attack on the judiciary".

The prime minister said the president has belittled his office through his actions as he is "beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution and demands of his Office."

In the tweet, Shehbaz said the president has belittled his office through his actions as he follows the PTI chief's orders rather than fulfilling his constitutional duties, reported Geo News.

"Through his conduct, he has belittled the august Office by acting as a worker of the PTI, one who is beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution & demands of his Office," he added.

The bill was approved by both houses of the parliament last month and sent to the president for assent amid a deepening political and constitutional crisis in the country over elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After Alvi's refusal to assent to the legislation, the government is likely to get through this bill from a joint session of the parliament.

The president returned the bill for reconsideration to the parliament as per the provisions of the Article 75 of the Constitution, stating that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of the parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation.

In his letter to PM Shehbaz Sharif, President Alvi said that he thought it fit and proper to return the bill, in accordance with the Constitution, with the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity (if assailed in the Court of Law), reported Geo News.

The president has, since the formation of the Pakistan Democratic Movement's government in April last year, returned bills and also refused to administer the oath to several members of the federal cabinet, including PM Shehbaz.

Alvi has sought the advice of PTI Chairman Imran Khan who was ousted as the prime minister in April last year on several crucial matters, including the appointment of the chief of army staff.

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