ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan does not have the authority to dictate to the parliament.
The apex court in November 28 verdict, had allowed the federal government to grant a six-month extension to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
READ MORE: Nawaz Sharif, Zardari’s bail is not important: Fawad
Directing the government to legislate on the army chief’s tenure and extension during this time.
While speaking to media, Chaudhry Fawad said, “The Supreme Court’s decision had a lot of legal flaws and mistakes.
The decision has completely bypassed Article 243 of the Constitution, and the Supreme Court cannot direct Parliament to legislate any law or decide the tenure of the army chief.”
Outgoing Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said on Saturday that the Supreme Court would issue its detailed judgement in the extension case before his retirement on December 20.
“In my opinion after going through the SC detailed verdict the government should go in appeal against it,” the minister added.
READ ALSO: Fawad Chaudhry criticises IHC’s verdict on motorways
In the 1973 Constitution, Chaudhry said, the tenure for the post of army chief was deliberately removed by the then Parliament to empower the prime minister “so that he could appoint or remove an army chief as per his discretion”.
He said the government was confident that the legislation for the extension in the COAS’s tenure would be passed without any difficulty, “There is a consensus of all political parties on this issue,” he added.
The minister said PM Imran Khan was currently the only popular leader in Pakistan, and both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari “did not have a major role in politics anymore”.
READ MORE: Huge respect for Zuckerberg family, says Fawad Chaudhry
