ISLAMABAD: A day after the government asked the Supreme Court to advise if it could seek lifelong disqualification of dissidents from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan insisted that only such a stringent punishment will be potent enough to end the notorious practice of floor-crossing.
Article 63-A of the Constitution, the law on floor-crossing, provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes.
Last week, several ruling MPs withdrew their support for the prime minister ahead of the no-confidence vote, weakening his prospects of retaining power.
Speaking after filing a petition to the Supreme Court on Monday, Khan told reporters the government had asked it to advise why MPs who ditch their party and switch sides cannot be disqualified for life.
Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Tuesday, he said floor-crossing was not only illegal but also an immoral act that must be condemned.
“Penalty for crossing floor should not be a one-time disqualification if Article 63-A is read with Article 62,” he said, contending those not fulfilling the Article 62-1 (f) criterion stand disqualified for life as interpreted by the Supreme Court.
Therefore, a defecting MP should be considered to have lost the qualities mentioned in Article 62-1 (f) if Article 63-A is to be made effective, he asserted.
Khan said the two questions — is Article 63-A an isolated provision of the Constitution or is it part of the larger scheme that includes Article 62-1 (f) — is the government’s case in the top court.
