Top lawyer requests Supreme Court to end constitutional crisis

PESHAWAR: Supreme Court Bar Association former president Abdul Latif Afridi Advocate on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to help end the prevailing constitutional crisis at the earliest.

Speaking at a news conference, he said the deputy speaker of the National Assembly had adjourned the session illegally as he had no constitutional right to do so.

The deputy speaker, he said, adjourned the session by violating his oath.

Abdul Latif Afridi said the National Assembly should have held voting on the no-confidence motion within three days but the deputy speaker adjourned the session on the request of a federal minister. The senior lawyer said the president had also no right to dissolve the National Assembly without completing the proceedings of the vote of no-confidence.

The lawyer community would fight for the supremacy of constitution and rule of law, he said, adding, the Supreme Court should decide the case in accordance with the constitution and law.

He added that there would have been no crisis if the deputy speaker had not violated the constitution.

Abdul Latif Afridi said that dissolving the National Assembly before holding a vote on the no-trust move was a violation of the constitution. He added that under the law, the president could not dissolve the National Assembly when the no-confidence motion was submitted.

The senior lawyer said that the unconstitutional act of the deputy speaker had triggered a constitutional crisis in the country. Asking the Supreme Court to end the prevailing crisis, he said that those who had violated the constitution should be punished as per the law of the land.

He said the lawyer community was least bothered whoever was ruling the country as it wanted the upholding of the constitution and law.

He said the prime minister should have faced the proceedings of the no-confidence motion.

Abdul Latif Afridi said the judges, who sided with the military dictators in the past, had lost respect in the eyes of the people. He said that Imran Khan should show evidence of a foreign conspiracy, adding that he cannot become a Bhutto.