Constitution doesn’t bar PM from having a deputy: SHC

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday rejected a petition challenging the appointment of deputy prime minister. While hearing the petition, Justice Munib Akhtar observed that there was no restriction in the constitution to appoint a deputy PM, adding that the prime minister could appoint anyone as his assistant. The judge remarked that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was part of the cabinet as a federal minister, while the government was being run by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The petitioner, Moulvi Iqbal Haider, argued that the Constitution of Pakistan does not have any provision for the post of deputy prime minister, and such an appointment was illegal.
He requested the court to declare the notification of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s appointment as deputy PM “unconstitutional and illegal”. The court said that the notification on Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s appointment as Deputy PM also stated that he could not exercise the prime minister’s powers. Therefore, the notification cannot be declared null and void, the court ruled.