PHC dismisses plea seeking president, PM’s removal

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday dismissed a petition seeking the removal of the president and prime minister of Pakistan and the disclosure of agreements made between the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The court issued a five-page written verdict on the matter authored by Justice Ejaz Anwar. The case was heard by a bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Ejaz Anwar.

In the verdict, Justice Ejaz Anwar stated that the court did not have the authority to remove the prime minister or the president. The judgment referenced a previous ruling by the Federal Shariat Court regarding the elimination of interest-based financial practices. The court noted that Article 38 of the recent 26th Constitutional Amendment mandated the elimination of interest-based systems by January 1, 2028. It said the government had been assigned a target to phase out interest.

Regarding the disclosure of IMF agreements, the verdict suggested that the petitioner should seek information through the Right to Information (RTI) laws. The judgment said that the government had formulated multiple policies and decisions related to interest-based financial matters, and the court could not interfere in policy decisions. Consequently, the petition was dismissed. The petition was filed by a citizen, Khalid Shah, who had challenged the inclusion of interest in Pakistan’s agreements with the IMF.

He had argued that the president and prime minister had violated the Islamic provisions of the Constitution and their oath by allowing such agreements. The petitioner had sought their removal and demanded that the details of the agreements should be made public.