Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Thursday said the apex court verdict on the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution would determine the country’s political future. “Pakistan’s fate and political future are linked with this case,” Fawad said and hoped that the apex court would give a clear line to halt the scourge of horse-trading once and for all. Talking to the media outside the Supreme Court along with Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Fawad referring to the Sindh House episode said, “It is imperative to put an end to the trade of consciousness and sale-purchase of vote to ensure a transparent democratic system.” Fawad said the reference filed by the government under Article 186 of the Constitution was meant to get replies to those unanswered questions, mainly related to the horse-trading. He said the attorney general for Pakistan’s stance, which he argued in the court, was that an MNA’s vote belonged to his party and a collective one and he was not an ordinary voter. “When a person gets elected as a legislator on a specific party ticket, his/her vote should be considered as a collective one and on a party’s behalf,” he added.` “If there is no restriction on such vote then what was the purpose of the Article 63-A in the Constitution,” he questioned. Fawad said there was consensus that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser would decide whether the vote of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s dissidents be counted or not. “Our stance is that the disqualification should be for a lifetime and these are the points on which the attorney general is arguing the case… will take time, but this case will prove to be a base of country’s future politics,” the minister remarked. Had the Election Commission of Pakistan taken action against the alleged horse-trading in the recent Senate elections, he said the horse-trading would have come to an end.
Apex court verdict to determine country’s political future: govt
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Thursday said the apex court verdict on the presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution would determine the country’s political future. “Pakistan’s fate and political future are linked with this case,” Fawad said and hoped that the apex court would give a clear line […]
