Senator Raza Rabbani on Monday expressed the possibility of an inquiry led by the Senate into President Arif Alvi’s statement that officials at the presidency “undermined” his command. The former Senate chairman pointed out that if an inquiry is initiated, the president will have to appear before a committee of the upper house since he is a part of the parliament under Article 50 of the Constitution. The controversy erupted after President Alvi made a startling revelation on Sunday, saying he had refused to sign into law two bills that would give authorities more power to prosecute people for acts against the state and military, a move the law ministry said was unconstitutional. “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 & Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 as I disagreed with these laws,” the president said on his personal social media account \u2014 a move that triggered a debate on the interpretation of Article 75. He said he had asked his staff to return the bills unsigned to the legislature within the stipulated time to make them ineffective. “However I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command,” the president added. Speaking on the matter at the Sindh High Court today, Rabbani \u2014 himself a legal expert \u2014 said that Alvi’s tweet was inappropriate. \u201cThe president is the head of the state, he could have returned the bills constitutionally under Article 75, the way he sent other bills.\u201d \u201cNeither did he want to sign the bills nor did he want to give his observation on them. What\u2019s this?\u201d The veteran politician said that the president is part of the parliament under Article 50 of the Constitution and should appear before a Senate committee. The officers involved in this should appear there, he said, adding this committee should investigate and dig out the real facts. \u201cIf it is proved that the president has made a false statement, then action can be initiated against him according to the law.\u201d When asked about the status of these bills, Rabbani responded, \u201cIt is not yet clear whether the president has signed them or not. On the one hand, he is saying that he did not sign and at the same time he is also apologising to those who would be affected.\u201d Article 75 of the Constitution is very clear in this matter, he said. \u201cAnything can happen during the current circumstances, said the PPP leader when asked what if the president says that he did not post the statement on X, formerly Twitter. Rabbani added that Alvi\u2019s term is ending on September 9 and an inquiry can be launched against him by the Senate. \u201cIf the Senate body comes to a conclusion that President Alvi made a false statement then action should be taken against him.\u201d However, the issue of the president’s impeachment is different, but the Senate can conduct an inquiry, he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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