ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said on Sunday that there was no constitutional crisis after the statement of President Dr Arif Alvi’s over the inking of the Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 and Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023.
Addressing a media briefing in Islamabad, along with Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, he said the bills were passed constitutionally and there was no ambiguity over the statement of the President.
Solangi said that President Alvi had shared the social media post through his personal account instead of his official one.
The minister did not comment on a query regarding whether action should be taken against the officials the president had accused of defying him, saying that it was not his job to decide.
Speaking on the occasion, the interim law minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam said the caretaker government had no political mandate and that President Alvi enjoyed immense respect as the head of state.
He explained that the Army Amendments Bill was approved by the Senate on 27 July, by the National Assembly on 31 July, and was sent to the president on 2 August.
He added that the Official Secrets Act was approved by the National Assembly on 1August, but was sent back after objections from the upper chamber of the parliament. It was approved by the National Assembly again on 7 August and sent to the president Alvi on 8 August.
The law minister said that when a bill is sent to the president he has 2 options, one is to sign it. The other option is to give observations in writing so the legislators can consider his guidance. There is no other option except these two. The time limit to act on the bills is ten days as per the constitution.
He added that President Alvi had used both of the options in the past and used his own signatures on the bills. He said that there had been no precedent during his tenure when the bills were returned without his signatures.
The press conference comes after President Alvi said that he did not ink the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill 2023 because he disagreed with these bills.
He claimed that the staff undermined his command and will.
President’s statement
He said in his X statement that 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.”
In response to his post, the Ministry of Law and Justice said that it is a problem of serious concern and if the president had any observations, he could have returned the texts with his observations like he did in the past.
