Law minister questions why Dr Arif Alvi did not object to key bills within 10-day timeframe
\nIslamabad
\nShortly after President Arif Alvi refuted his endorsement of two pivotal pieces of legislation, namely the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan claimed that if the president neither approves nor rejects a bill within a 10-day timeframe, the bill automatically assumes the status of law.
\n\u201cThe president had the option to raise objections to the bills within the stipulated timeframe but chose not to, leading to the automatic enactment of the bills into law,\u201d the caretaker law minister said during a press conference alongside Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi on Sunday.
\nHe stated that the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received by the Presidential Palace on August 2, while the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill reached the president on August 8.
\n\u201cThe president had only two choices: to approve the bills or send them back with objections. No third option exists, and if the bills are not returned, they become law automatically within ten days,\u201d he added.
\nIrfan noted that the president had a 10-day window to object to the bills, emphasising that in the past, similar bills were returned with objections after reconsideration. However, he pointed out that no instance had arisen where a bill was returned without objections or reconsideration. \u201cThe 10-day period serves the purpose of avoiding any constitutional crisis,\u201d he added.
\nThe law minister underlined that the caretaker government had no political agenda in this matter. He stated, \u201cWe have no political affiliations, and we will steer clear of political discussions.\u201d He added that it would be inappropriate for the president\u2019s staff to comment on this issue publicly.
\nResponding to a question, Solangi stated that there was no ambiguity regarding the matter, saying that through the press release and the press conference, the government had provided comprehensive clarification. He questioned why the president did not exercise his option to return either of the bills within the 10-day period.
\nTo a question, he said that the government does not intend to take the record of the President\u2019s Palace into its possession, declining to comment further on the issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Law minister questions why Dr Arif Alvi did not object to key bills within 10-day timeframe Islamabad Shortly after President Arif Alvi refuted his endorsement of two pivotal pieces of legislation, namely the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan claimed that if the president […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350520,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-350498","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n