Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar Supports Potential PTI Ban and Article 6 Invocation
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar has voiced strong support for the government’s move to potentially ban the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and consider invoking Article 6 against its leaders. This follows a recent announcement by Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, who stated that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) plans to file treason references against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-President Arif Alvi. The charges stem from their involvement in the dissolution of the National Assembly in April 2022.
Article 6 Discussion: Tarar emphasized that there is a valid case for invoking Article 6, as the Constitution was allegedly violated by dissolving the National Assembly amidst a no-confidence motion. He also suggested that this issue could be brought before Parliament for further debate.
Judicial Appointments: In addition to the PTI ban discussion, Tarar defended the proposal from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) to appoint retired judges as ad hoc members of the Supreme Court. He asserted that the Constitution permits such appointments to address the high volume of pending cases.
Ad Hoc Judges Controversy: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa had nominated four retired judges—Mushir Alam, Maqbool Baqir, Mazhar Alam Miankhel, and Sardar Tariq Masood—as ad hoc Supreme Court judges. However, Justice (retd) Mushir Alam and Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqir have declined the offer for personal reasons. Justice Baqir noted that the appointment of ad hoc judges is legally permissible, despite criticism.
PTI’s Response: The PTI has criticized the move, alleging it may be a tactic to influence PTI’s reserved seats judgment and undermine its party status. PTI Secretary-General Omar Ayub Khan expressed skepticism about the efficacy of appointing additional judges to resolve the backlog of cases, suggesting that the real motive is to appoint “like-minded” judges.
Extension of CJP Tenure: Tarar also addressed rumors about an extension in CJP Isa’s tenure, clarifying that the Chief Justice had previously expressed disinterest in extending his term due to concerns about the high pension bill for government employees.
Next Steps: The JCP, chaired by CJP Isa, is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the appointment of the retired judges. The high pendency of cases is cited as the reason for the proposed ad hoc appointments.
