'What constitutes a responsible government?'

This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed "What constitutes a responsible government?" carried by the newspaper yesterday. The publication of a write-up on this subject has, in a way, brought under the spotlight the army chief's tenure extension issue. The situation, however, warrants no comment because the country's highest judicial forum - Supreme Court of Pakistan - is seized of this matter.

Here, however, I would like to reinforce the writer's following argument: "No minister can directly aid and advise the President for the simple reason that the Cabinet owes its existence to the Prime Minister. Federal government means the Prime Minister who can hold more than one portfolio. Every minister is appointed and removed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister (Article 92) and a minister is bound to resign if he disagrees with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can even advise the President to dissolve the National Assembly. In that event, the government also ends, for it needs to have the support of the National Assembly for its existence."