PPP demands Alvi’s resignation

Islamabad: PPP on Wednesday demanded the resignation of President Arif Alvi after the reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa was dismissed as “illegal” by the Supreme Court in its detailed judgment on the matter.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, flanked by PPP stalwart Sherry Rehman and other party leaders including Maula Bakhsh Chandio and Sassi Palijo, Senator Raza Rabbani said that the purpose in convening a briefing is to discuss that state institutions are being made increasingly controversial.

“There is a total breakdown of systems in the country. Inflation [in the country] continues to rise and there is no one ready to answer for this. This has also invariable led to a rise in terrorism-related incidents,” he lamented.

He said that “sensitive institutions were first targeted in terror attacks and now civilian institutions are being targeted”.

Rabbani said that no one is seen addressing these issues. “The government is not taking anyone into confidence over these matters and no session of the National Security Council has been called. It seems that institutions are being [deliberately] crippled.”

“It seems the institutions are being pushed under the purview of one person alone. The parliament is being disrespected and legislation is being done through ordinances.”

The PPP leader further said that the country is moving towards “fascism” and the style of governance in the country suggests that it is moving towards a “one unit” system.

Saying that not only the government but the president should resign as well as he had issued ordinances but did not take into account the legal procedures, Rabbani said: “The powers of the provinces are being taken away. In light of these circumstances, the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] has asked the government for its resignation.”

He said that the president had nominated two members of the Election Commission but the Chief Election Commissioner refused to take oath from these members.

Rabbani went on to say the president filed references against two judges and later the decisions were disregarded by the top court, adding that “the references were so erroneous that it was proved that they were filed maliciously”.

The PPP leader also said that the court decisions proved that the president did not fulfil his constitutional obligation in these references. “President Arif Ali tried to attack the independent judiciary which is unacceptable. Therefore, in light of these decisions, the president should resign,” he said.