Govt plans to impeach President Alvi after Eid

ISLAMABAD: The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made up its mind to impeach President Arif Alvi and a strategy would be devised in a meeting of collation partners in a week after Eid.

Sources told The News on Saturday that National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf has the trump card to pave the way for the ouster of the President who has blatantly defied the Constitution on several occasions ever since the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The government is working on a reference against President Alvi and others, including Imran Khan, Punjab Governor Sarfraz Umer Cheema and former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri under Article 6 of the Constitution. For the purpose, federal ministries of law and justice and interior are studying various aspects of the issue.

Sources said the number of members of the two Houses of parliament siding with the ruling coalition had risen to 265 in the wake of switching sides by the coalition partners of the ousted government. For the impeachment, the government needs the support of 294 members. Beside 23 members of the PTI, who have left the party, two more members have openly disassociated with the party’s decision to resign from the House; former caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro (NA-196 Jacobabad) and Ghulam Bibi Bharvana (NA 115 Jhang).

They will attend National Assembly proceedings supposed to commence on May 9. The two have not resigned after the PTI asked its members to quit en bloc last month. The strength of the government in the Senate has reached 64 after the change of the government. Sources said the deficit of 29 members would be bridged as about 60 PTI MNAs had approached the National Assembly Secretariat with a request to listen to their views before taking any decision about their resignations. It is understood that more than 60 MNAs are keen to stay in the House against the party’s will and have no intention to resign.

The National Assembly, in its last session before the budget sitting, would make significant legislation including electoral reforms. The legislation will need a President who isn’t hostile to the government, so that the legislation could become a part of the Constitution conveniently. Sources pointed out the impeachment motion against President Alavi would be submitted as soon as the required number of MNAs express their disassociation with the resignations. The government had held out an olive branch to President Alavi recently but he acted in a hostile manner in his subsequent acts and violated the Constitution. Former President Asif Ali Zardari could again be designated as a candidate for the office of President.