ISLAMABAD: The People's Party of Pakistan (PPP) has called for the removal of law minister Barrister Farogh Naseem from the federal cabinet for his recent "controversial acts" and statements, including one in which he said the federal government could take over the administrative affairs of Karachi enforcing article 149 of the Constitution.
In a statement on Sunday, Sindh Sassui Palijo PPP senator claimed that the law minister through his "thinking, policies, statements and actions" had been causing chaos in the country.
"Through his anti-democratic decisions regarding the judiciary, lawyers and the Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the law minister has raised question marks about Pakistan's judicial system," he said.
Dr. Naseem is the head of a high-power committee recently created by the prime minister to develop plans to address the problems facing Karachi residents. The committee has the task of suggesting short, medium and long term measures for the improvement of the metropolis.
Subsequently, the panel at its meeting formed a 12-member Karachi Strategic Committee with six members each from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the two opposition parties in Sindh.
The law minister had stated last week that the strategic committee on Karachi, constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan, would recommend the federal government to invoke Article 149 for the development of Karachi.
“After obtaining the approval of the cabinet, the provision will be exercised and, in case of any resistance shown by the provincial government, we will approach the Supreme Court in accordance with Article 184 (1) of the Constitution to seek a directive in this regard. and if the province still shows reluctance to file a petition for contempt in the SC ”, the law minister would have said.
Previously, the minister had told the news channels that at this time it was his personal opinion that the Center should take over Karachi affairs.
The law minister, who is an MQM senator, had said that the Karachi situation demanded that the federal government play its role in solving people's problems without imposing the government or the governor's emergency.
He said that Article 149 (4) was an independent article, which was retained by the PPP and the Pakistan-Nawaz Muslim League when the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was approved.
Posted on Dawn, September 16, 2019
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1505482/ppp-wants-minister-fired-over-remarks-about-karachi-affairs