An application has been filed in the Sindh High Court by Advocate Tariq Mansoor, on the appointment of Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, as the deputy prime minister.
It is to be noted that, the application has been filed by Advocate Mansoor, challenging the appointment as ‘unconstitutional.’ He mentioned that, the appointment of Minister Mansoor was unconstitutional and unlawful since there was no provision in the Constitution for the position of the deputy prime minister.
The cabinet division, prime minister secretariat, principal secretary to the president and the National Assembly secretary have been cited as the respondents.
In the petition, Advocate Mansoor pleaded the court that the notification issued on April 28 for the appointment of Minister Dar as the deputy Prime Minister, was prima facie, an infringement to the fundamental rights of the public.
He also added that it was the matter of constitutional and public concern “severely affecting the preservation, protection and the defence of the Constitution.”
The petitioner further made an argument that the titles prime minister, caretaker prime minister and the federal ministers were categorically mentioned in the Constitution and the Rules of Business, but there was no provision for the designation of the deputy prime minister.
Referring to the several judgements of the apex courts, he asserted that in cases of conflict between Constitution and an act, it was the duty of superior courts as preservers, protectors and defenders of the Constitution to declare such enactment as invalid.
The petitioner has made request to the court to overturn the appointment for being in violation of the Constitution.
It is to be hereby added that, Minister Dar, who is a close confidant of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, was appointed the deputy prime minister on Sunday, in a move that took many by surprise.
A notification issued by the Cabinet Division said the appointment was made by PM Shehbaz Sharif ‘with immediate effect and until further orders.’
