ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam on Sunday said that a bill automatically assumes the status of law if the president neither approves nor rejects a bill within a 10-day timeframe after President Arif Alvi denied singing Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the caretaker law minister claimed that Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act were not received by his ministry from the Aiwan-e-Sadr [President’s House].
“President Alvi had the option to raise objections to the bills within the stipulated timeframe but chose not to, leading to the automatic enactment of the bills into law,” Ahmed Irfan Aslam stated.
Earlier on Sunday, in a surprising turn of events, President Arif Alvi said that he did not sign the bills amending the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act into law as he “disagreed with these laws”. He alleged that his staff “undermined” his will and command.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Alvi said: “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws.”
The president said he asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them “uneffective”.
“I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned and was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive Insha’Allah. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected,” the president said.
