Govt mulls treason case against PTI leadership

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet met here on Friday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair and approved constitution of a special committee to deliberate and make recommendations about the implementation of the Supreme Court’s detailed verdict in the suo-moto case on former deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri’s ruling.

The special committee, headed by Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, would discuss and recommend whether proceedings under Article 6 of the Constitution could be initiated against the top PTI leadership, including former premier Imran Khan.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb informed the media about the decisions made by the federal cabinet. She said the special committee formed by the cabinet would have representation of all the coalition partners. “The committee will Having secured a ‘historic’ win, Biden lands in Jeddah cabinet,” she added. The cabinet termed the SC judgment historic, the minister said, adding that it ensured protection of the Constitution.

Marriyum said it was also approved in principle to constitute an independent and transparent inquiry commission under the Commission of Inquires Act 2017 to probe the complaints of Ms Tayyaba Gul regarding her alleged abduction and harassment by the Prime Minister’s House during Imran Khan’s government.

She said Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar had been asked to finalise the terms of reference for the inquiry commission and suggest names of chairman and its members. She said the commission’s inquiry would be time-bound to make it result-oriented.

The information minister said Gul had launched a complaint on the PM’s portal, but instead of listening to her grievances related to sexual harassment, she was called to the PM House, and was “held captive” there. She claimed that she was called by then principal secretary Azam Khan to the PM’s House.

Gul, who had accused former NAB chief Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal of sexual harassment, alleged that former premier Khan used her videos to have his National Accountability Bureau cases closed, and blackmailed ex-NAB chairman for political gains. She claimed that NAB turned against her when she refused to join Javed Iqbal in a flat.

The information minister said the PM’s Office, through these tactics, “compromised” a national institution. Marriyum Aurangzeb said the cabinet also reiterated to complete the IMF programme for development and economic self-reliance of the country. She said the meeting validated the decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee that met on fifth of this month.

These decisions include import of three million tonnes of wheat and permission to import luxury items lying on ports by paying additional duty of five per cent and 15 per cent as per their arrival at ports after the ban on import of luxury items.

The minister said the cabinet approved an amnesty on overstay of foreign citizens till 31st December this year, so they could leave Pakistan. She said an awareness campaign will also be launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the amnesty.

It may be noted that on April 3, before voting could commence against Khan, Suri dismissed the vote on no confidence move against then prime minister Imran Khan, terming the same as “unconstitutional” and backed by “foreign powers”.

The Supreme Court’s detailed judgment, however, rejected PTI’s foreign conspiracy claims and said the courts give verdicts on evidence, not speculation.

In an additional note, Justice Mazahar Alam Khan Miankhel observed that President Arif Alvi, then Prime Minister Imran Khan, then National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, then deputy speaker Suri, and former law minister Fawad Chaudhry had violated their authority, and left it up to the parliamentarians to decide whether their acts could be prosecuted under Article 6. Information Minister, while briefing newsmen on Friday, said with the Supreme Court’s detailed verdict, it had been proven that the PTI leadership had violated the Constitution.