Law minister Shafique Ahmed said on Thursday that senior lawyer Rafique-ul Haque's remarks on the constitution reprinted after repeal of the Fifth Amendment was 'misleading and baseless'.
He said that the constitution was reprinted in accordance with the Supreme Court's verdict that had declared the Fifth Amendment void and nothing relating to the provisions of the caretaker government system was changed.
'The constitution has been reprinted in line with the court's verdict on the Fifth Amendment and the caretaker government system has been kept intact,' Shafique Ahmed told a press briefing at the secretariat.
Rafique-ul Haque was quoted by a private television on June 12 as saying that changes had been made in Article 99 of the constitution although the verdict did not say anything about that Article.
Rafique wondered how the constitution reprinted in February should reflect the Supreme Court judgment that declared the caretaker government system illegal in May.
The court also suggested dropping of the provision for appointment of retired chief justice or Appellate Division judges as chief adviser or advisers to the caretaker government, which was introduced through the 13th Amendment in 1996.
'In line with the Article 99 of the reprinted constitution, former Supreme Court judges cannot be the chief adviser or advisers to the caretaker government. But the Supreme Court didn't say anything about this in its verdict on the Fifth Amendment, he reportedly said.
Shafique, a lawyer by profession, told reporters that only the amendments which had come through martial law proclamations had been repealed.
'So, the word 'Betito' (except) which was incorporated through the Fifth Amendment was dropped from the Article 99. We have not done anything beyond the verdict on the Fifth Amendment,' he added.
The minister said Rafique's remarks were misleading, illogical and baseless as the provisions relating to non-party caretaker government remained unchanged in the reprinted constitution.
He said it was the court and not the government that had annulled the caretaker government system. 'It is now obligatory for all to abide by the court's verdict.'
Shafique, however, said that the main opposition should come to parliament and say under which system the next general election should be conducted.
source:NewAge
No comments:
Post a Comment