Your letter looks like PTI’s Press Release: PM's reply to President

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Sunday wrote a reply to to President Dr. Arif Alvi’s letter containing five pages and seven points, in which he termed the President's letter as one sided and a press release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In the reply letter, the Prime Minister said: “I am forced to say that your letter has anti-government views that you express openly,” adding that it does not reflect the constitutional position of the President and you continue to do so.

Shehbaz Sharif wrote that on April 3, 2022, you followed the unconstitutional directive of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan by dissolving the National Assembly, while your order to dissolve the National Assembly was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on April 7. Even in the matter of taking my oath as Prime Minister under Article 91 Clause 5, you failed to fulfill your constitutional duty.

He wrote to President: “On many occasions you have been working actively against the elected constitutional government, I tried my best to establish a good working relationship with you, but the tone you used in your letter, I am compelled to write to you. Your reference to human rights violations refers to politicians and activists of one party.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continued to state that under Article 10A and 4 of the Constitution, the required protection of the Constitution and the law has been given to all those people, while the law enforcement agencies have implemented the required regulations for the implementation of law and public order.

He added: “Even once as President you did not condemn Imran Khan's violation of court orders and attacks on those who complied, such militancy by any political party against the court order was never seen before.”

“Our government fully believes in freedom of expression as per Article 19 of the Constitution, but this freedom is allowed to be exercised within the limits of the Constitution and the law. When PTI was in power, you never raised your voice about it,” he criticized.

The Prime Minister said let me draw your attention to the annual World Report of Human Rights Watch 2022 when PTI was in power at that time.

The report stated: “The government of Pakistan has stepped up efforts to control the media and that the PTI government is suppressing dissent. The report details the harassment, imprisonment and targeting of journalists, civil society and political opponents”.

The former Chief Minister of Punjab added the National Human Rights Commission was suspended during the PTI government, the report of the Commission is an indictment on the PTI government. There is a record of PTI government's violations in several reports of international human rights organizations.

Member of National Assembly (MNA) Rana Sanaullah was falsely accused of narcotics, which is punishable by death. Male and female members of parliament were imprisoned and subjected to human rights violations by PTI’s government, Sharif said.

The Prime Minister wrote: “Even a female family member of a former Prime Minister was not forgiven and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was used to wipe out political opponents,” adding that as the President of Pakistan, you did not raise your voice even once on any of these incidents. You as the president could have asked the government of that time about these violations of human rights, constitution and law.

Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) President continued that the provincial assemblies were dissolved not for any constitutional or legal purpose, but only to blackmail the federal government and you did not even think that the country would be caught in a new constitutional crisis by holding the first election of two provincial assemblies.

“You have also forgotten the requirement of transparent, free and impartial elections under Article 218 Clause Three, tampering with the Constitution has been completely ignored by you which is very sad. This behavior is not in accordance with the constitutional role of the President,” he condemned.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has given the date of holding elections in Punjab on October 8, all the federal and provincial institutions have provided the relevant information to the ECP.

“The Constitution has assigned the responsibility of conducting elections to the ECP and it has to determine that there is a favorable environment under Article 218-3 for conducting free and transparent elections, Shehbaz further said.

The Prime Minister said that the President in his letter did not object to the aggressive behavior and style of the federal ministers of the former government, while the ministers of the former government are constantly attacking the authority and reputation of ECP.

The President's interpretation of Article 46 of the Constitution and Clause 15/5 (B) of the Rules of Business is not correct, your talk of consultation between the President and the Prime Minister is not correct because under Article 48 Clause 1 of the Constitution, the President is required to act according to the advice of the Cabinet or the Prime Minister.

He said: “It is applicable to the extent of keeping the President informed, neither more nor less, and the Prime Minister is not bound to consult the President in exercising the administrative authority of the federal government.”

“Mr. President, I and the federal government are fully aware of our responsibilities under the constitution, we are committed to the full observance, protection and defense of the constitution, and we are committed to protecting the basic human rights of every citizen listed in the constitution,” Pm addressed the president.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government is determined not to allow anyone to take the law into their hands and cause irreparable damage to the state of Pakistan. I assure you that every attempt to weaken the constitutionally elected government will be thwarted.

It is pertinent to note that President Dr. Arif Alvi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 24.