KARACHI: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf is considering invoking Article 6 to harness the Opposition as voting day on No Confidence Motion is only 48 hours ahead.
The reports emanating from law offices of the federal government hints at an exercise to examine that whether the Article 6 could be invoked in circumstances wherein incumbent government has sufficient proof that a foreign country has hatched a conspiracy to dislodge Imran Khan from the post of Prime Minister and Opposition parties abetting in this plan/conspiracy could be dis banned.
The Article 6 reads as follows:
High treason
Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or holds in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance, the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.
(2)
Any person aiding or abetting 12 [or collaborating] 12 the acts mentioned in clause (1) shall likewise be guilty of high treason.
(2A)
An act of high treason mentioned in clause (1) or clause (2) shall not be validated by any court including the Supreme Court and a High Court.
[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] 14 shall by law provide for the punishment of persons found guilty of high treason.
The said article could be invoked only in a situation wherein the Constitution of Pakistan is abrogate or suspended by any “Adventurous” Civilian or Uniformed and individuals who abates in this endeavor shall be prosecuted for “High Treason”. The last clause made Parliament Supreme as it was entrusted with the duty to decide the “punishment” for High Treason. It means again Parliament and above all its members will decide the fate of person (s) guilty of High Treason. In other words, the present and sitting Parliamentarian whose majority is against Prime Minister Imran Khan will be the decision makers (collectively).
The advise, if any to invoke Article 6 and to declare the all political parties in the opposition as Anti Pakistan and Anti State save PTI which faces a democratic ouster through standard democratic process and norm.
The political analysts terms any such exercise as against the spirit of the constitution and maintains that if this article was invoked wrongly it will bring another embarrassment for PTI and PM Imran Khan.