The government on Monday filed a reference seeking an interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution of Pakistan in the Supreme Court.
Attorney-General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan filed the reference on behalf of President Arif Alvi.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SBCA) President Ahsan Bhoon, in a conversation with media, said that the reference was non-maintainable. “The petition filed on Article 63-A is not maintainable,” Bhoon said.
He said that the constitution granted the right to appeal, but the Election Commission of Pakistan must first issue an order after which an appeal could be filed. Bhoon further asked if a crime could be punished before it was committed.
Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar on Sunday tweeted that the reference was “prepared” for filing at the Supreme Court.
“Hopefully the case will put the bizarre trade of buying loyalties and becoming a turncoat in politics to an end forever and the influence of money in politics would be reduced,” Umar wrote.
Meanwhile, former law minister Aitzaz Ahsan said that Article 63-A applied to members who voted against their party policy and that a member of the assembly could not be disqualified prior to casting of votes.
