NA speaker ruling final, can’t be challenged in court: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Sunday said the ruling of the National Assembly Speaker was final, and it could not be challenged in any court, asking why political parties were running away from elections.

“There is no threat of martial law. The army has nothing to do with these matters. These are matters of parliament,” Fawad contended. He also made it clear that at present, no no-confidence motion was pending with the National Assembly.

“The government is gone, we should be sorry but their faces are sullen; the whole PTI is celebrating, but the faces of the opposition should be seen, tears are rolling down their faces,” he expressed these views while talking to the media here.

Fawad questioned why the opposition was scared of elections. “If there are so many lion cubs, then let’s fight elections.” He emphasised that the speaker’s ruling came after the completion of the constitutional process. At present, no no-confidence motion was pending in the Parliament, after which the president, on the advice of the prime minister, dissolved the National Assembly.

He said that elections were going to be held in the country in 90 days. He said he was writing a letter to the former opposition leader to give his interim name. Fawad said courts should not be held on Sunday. “The process should be completed, political decisions were never made in courts, the people of Pakistan would decide on it.”

To a question, he asked why the Attorney General would be consulted on the speaker’s ruling. The power to dissolve the assemblies rested with the PM under Article 58. “We also have governments in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Everything is happening according to the Constitution.”

Earlier, before the rejection of the no-trust motion and subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly, Federal Minister for Law and Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain shared the first major development of the day and said the federal government had removed Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar from his post.

“The new governor of Punjab will be announced later. According to the Constitution, the deputy speaker will be the acting governor,” he added. Talking to journalists at the Parliament House, Fawad said, “I sympathise with PMLN members, all family is involved in TTs; father says I want to be the prime minister of the country, son is dreaming of becoming the CM. There is no shame in these people, they consider themselves a Mughal family.”

He alleged the people of Pakistan hate these people and added there were many people who had got stitched sherwanis but they were not getting pajamas. Referring to the no-trust motion, the minister said today, voting is between an independent, sovereign Pakistan and a subjugated Pakistan. “On the one hand, it is said that respect Pakistan and the nation of Pakistan, while on the other hand it is said that we are beggars and are living on drips.

“Today is the occasion of freedom like Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave us freedom. Pakistan is an independent and proud nation; it will never go with those who call themselves beggars. The members involved in the floor crossing have already lost their dignity,” he argued.

After appointment of Omer Sarfraz Cheema as Governor Punjab, Fawad said Chaudhry Sarwar is a good man; we have great respect for him. But he pointed out that Chaudhry Sarwar was not getting along with Pervaiz Elahi, so he was removed.

Separately, Fawad Chaudhry said the federal cabinet had been dissolved. Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, would continue his duties under Article 224 of the Constitution, he said in a tweet.