PTI to pursue sedition cases against interim setups if constitution violated: Fawad

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday urged governors and caretaker chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to announce election dates immediately, warning that they will pursue sedition cases against them under Article 6 if the constitution is violated, Aaj News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore along with other PTI leaders, Fawad said that those in power today must not take unconstitutional steps.

Speaking about the appointment of Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the chief executive of Punjab, Fawad said the caretaker setup had started a “witch hunt” from day one.

“A caretaker chief minister takes an oath to remain impartial. Any act of partiality is a violation of his oath and the constitution,” he said, adding that those who violate the constitution will face cases under Article 6.

Fawad said the people of Punjab had rejected the caretaker setup, referring to today’s protests against the ECP’s decision.

“As per the constitution, a caretaker chief minister must be impartial and non-controversial. Naqvi lacks both traits,” he said, adding that the party would move the court and submit proof of Naqvi’s ‘biasedness and partiality’.

He said that the PTI had submitted an application to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) requesting not to appoint officers who were part of the May 25 brutalities against the party.

Fawad said the country was headed towards an “economic meltdown” and the national elections were the only way out.

He urged Supreme Court not to wait for further destruction and intervene for early elections, saying “all the mess started after the top court overturned former Speaker Asad Qaiser’s ruling of dissolution of assemblies” and allowed the “corrupt mafia” to rule the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Hammad Azhar said the announcement of the election date comes hand-in-hand with the dissolution of assemblies, however, governors of both provinces have failed to float election dates even after one week of dissolution of assemblies.

He also reiterated that the PTI would take stern action against all constitutional violations and make sure that the violators are dealt with according to the law.