ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Sunday approved the dissolution of the National Assembly on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s advice under Article 58 of the Constitution.
“The president of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, has approved the advice of the prime minister of Pakistan to dissolve the National Assembly under Article 58 (1) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” according to a statement issued by the President’s Secretariat.
According to Article 58, “The president shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the prime minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the prime minister has so advised.”
In a surprise move, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he has advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve all the assemblies. His brief public address was telecast shortly after a crucial National Assembly session that was set to vote on the no-confidence motion against him was abruptly adjourned as the deputy speaker deemed the no-trust vote “unconstitutional”.
Pleased with the NA deputy speaker’s ruling, the premier congratulated the nation on the development. “The NA speaker has rejected the move intended at changing the regime and I congratulate the entire nation on it,” he said in the televised address.
He said that after the decision the NA deputy speaker made using his constitutional right, he [PM Khan] has suggested President Arif Alvi dissolve the assemblies. “In a democratic society, the democrats go to the people, elections are held and the people decide who they want to rule,” he added.
The prime minister said that all the money spent on buying loyalties will get wasted. He told the people who have taken this money that they still have the chance to spend it on charity. He told the nation to prepare for elections.
“No foreign power or any corrupt elements, but only you have to decide for this country.” He said that as soon as the president receives his suggestion, the assemblies will be dissolved and the process of a caretaker government will start.
No-trust move dismissed
Earlier in the day, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who took the floor shortly after the NA session began, said that loyalty to the state was the basic duty of every citizen under Article 5(1), which says loyalty to the state is the basic duty of every citizen.
He reiterated the premier’s earlier claims that a foreign conspiracy was behind the move to oust the government. “On March 7, our official ambassador was invited to a meeting attended by the representatives of other countries. The meeting was told that a motion against PM Imran was being presented,” he said, noting that this occurred a day before the opposition formally filed the no-trust move.
“We were told that relations with Pakistan were dependent on the success of the no-confidence motion. We were told that if the motion fails, then Pakistan’s path would be very difficult. This is an operation for a regime change by a foreign government,” he alleged.
The minister questioned how this could be allowed and called on the deputy speaker to decide the constitutionality of the no-trust move. Suri, who chaired the session, noted that the motion was presented on March 8 and should be according to the law and the Constitution.
“No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”. He dismissed the motion, ruling that it was “contradictory” to the law, the Constitution and the rules. The session was later prorogued.
