LAHORE: Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali said that the president had authority to pardon any convict but he could do so by getting a nod from the prime minister and the cabinet.
He said that the president also had the powers to dissolve assemblies but with same condition of advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. He was responding to media question on Monday at his Lahore office. On query about rumors of dissolution of assemblies AG said that as head of state the president had role in granting pardon to any convict or dissolution only with const of prime minister and the cabinet.
He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was fully powerful and did not take dictation from anyone to run the government affairs. It was totally wrong to say that Nawaz Sharif was still running the government affairs, he added. He said that there was nothing wrong in it, heading cabinet meetings by party’s heads was a normal practice in democratic countries. Giving example he said that KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah did not attend cabinet’s meetings presided by Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari respectively. He termed the prediction of early election as political stunt. He called the demand of general election before time as part of the election campaign as otherwise the political parties had nothing to do. He said that the provision of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat declaration stood restored and the Islamabad sit-in by a religious party was of no use. He said that similarly the demand for the resignation of law minister Zahid Hamid and finance minister Ishaq Dar was of no use.
AG on a query, said that the finance minister was advised not to travel back to country due to his cardiac problem. He said that Mr Dar was only health issue, nothing else.
On the question of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav case before international court of justice (ICJ), he said that on behalf of Pakistan a reply would be filed before next hearing on December 13. He said that Jadhav had already allowed meeting his wife on the basis of Islamic teachings and humanitarian grounds.
He also informed that Pakistan would also agitate before the ICJ grave violations of human rights violation in Indian held Kashmir. He said that Kashmir issue could only be settled by UN already passed resolutions.
Published in Daily Times, November 21st 2017.
