President returns election, NAB bills

President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday refused to assent to the bills recently passed by the two houses of parliament, seeking amendments to the accountability and election laws, and returned the two pieces of legislation to the government for “consideration and detailed deliberations” by parliament and its committees.

The president, who belongs to the former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), has returned the two crucial bills using his powers under Article 75(1) of the Constitution, according to an official handout issued by the President’s Office.

Article 75(1) states: “When a bill is presented to the president for assent, the president shall, within [ten] days (a) assent to the bill; or (b) in the case of a bill other than a money bill, return the bill to the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) with a message requesting that the bill or any specified provision thereof, be reconsidered and that any amendment specified in the message be considered.”

In order to counter the president’s move, the government was considering getting the two bills passed in the joint sitting of parliament scheduled to be held on June 7, under Article 75(2) of the Constitution.