ISLAMABAD – The Ministry of Law and Justice has expressed its concerns following President Dr. Arif Alvi’s recent tweets, which came a day after the controversial Army act bills were enacted into laws.
In a surprising turn of events, President Alvi posted on Twitter, now marked as X, stating that he had not given his approval to the bills that amended the Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act, effectively making them into laws. He pointed out that as the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, he disagreed with these laws.
Read more : Arif Alvi Denies Signing Army Act ,Blames Staff For Undermining His Authority
Alvi accused his staff of undermining his authority and decisions, and he extended his apologies to those who would be affected by the legislations.
In response to the President’s revelations, the Ministry of Law issued a statement addressing the situation. According to the ministry, Article 75 of the Constitution allows for the President’s assent or the referral of bills to the parliament, but there is no provision for a third option. The delay in giving assent without providing any observations was criticized as unconstitutional. The ministry further stated that the President should take responsibility for his actions.
The ministry asserted that the President intentionally delayed granting his assent. The Constitution does not provide for the return of bills without any observations or assent. Such a course of action goes against the principles outlined in the constitution, the statement added.
Additionally, the ministry noted that if President Alvi had any observations, he could have returned the bills along with his comments, as he has done in both recent and distant instances.
