Pak PM Shehbaz criticises President Alvi for returning CJ bill, calls him ‘PTI worker’

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday criticised President Dr Arif Alvi for returning the Supreme Court Bill unsigned and called him a worker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The president has, since the formation of the Shehbaz Sharif government in April last year, returned bills and also refused to administer the oath to several members of the federal cabinet, including PM Shehbaz.

"President Alvi returning the Supreme Court Bill duly passed by parliament is most unfortunate," the prime minister said in a hard-hitting tweet hours after the president returned the bill to the legislature.

Shehbaz said the president has belittled his office through his actions as he follows the PTI chief's orders rather than fulfilling his constitutional duties, reported Geo News.

"Through his conduct, he has belittled the august Office by acting as a worker of the PTI, one who is beholden to Imran Niazi more than the Constitution & demands of his Office," he added.

The bill was approved by both houses of parliament last week and sent to the president for assent amid a deepening political and constitutional crisis in the country over elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After Alvi's refusal to give assent to the legislation, the government is likely to get through this bill from a joint session of parliament.

The president returned the bill for reconsideration to parliament, stating that the bill prima-facie travels beyond the competence of parliament and can be assailed as colourable legislation.

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