Fawad orders commission to probe foreign conspiracy behind no-confidence motion

Federal Law Minister Fawad Chaudhry has ordered a commission to probe the foreign conspiracy behind the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, SAMAA TV has reported. 

Chaudhry, who is the minister for information and broadcast, was given the additional charge of law minister Friday. 

The commission will look into the foreign interference to topple the government in Pakistan and present its report. 

Chaudhry also ordered the transfers of at least a dozen key legal officers in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. 

Petition filed in the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has turned down the petition to investigate the conspiracy letter, which the prime minister waved during his speech at the March 27 rally, and to stop the no-confidence motion.

The application filed by advocate Naeem ul Hasan requested the court to form a commission comprising top supreme court judges or the chief justices of provincial high courts. 

The registrar’s office raised an objection that neither the petitioner approached any “relevant forum” nor it mentioned the reason for approaching the supreme court directly.

“It is not clear in the petition how the case has a public importance,” it stated.

The applicant had cited the commission formed by the Supreme Court to probe the memogate scandal in 2011, and requested for a similar commission. 

Naeem had urged the court to stop the vote on the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly until the commission concluded its investigation.  

Chaudhry got the additional charge of law minister after the resignation of Farogh Naseem was approved by the PM Khan. Naseem and Aminul Haque, who worked as IT minister, submitted their resignations to the prime minister after MQM-P parted ways with the ruling PTI.   

Chaudhry announced Friday that he will use the position to go after Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz.  

PML-N leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz have “become” self-appointed prime minister and chief minister while they are out on bail, he added  

“We will urge the court to start proceedings for the bail cancellations of both, Shehbaz and Hamza,” he said.