Caretaker govt says bills became law after non-objection from President

ISLAMABAD: Hours after President Arif Alvi denied signing Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam said that a bill automatically assumes the status of law if the president neither approves nor rejects a bill within a 10-day timeframe, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the caretaker law minister claimed that Official Secrets Act and the Pakistan Army Act were not received by his ministry from the Aiwan-e-Sadr [President’s House].

“President Alvi had the option to raise objections to the bills within the stipulated timeframe but chose not to, leading to the automatic enactment of the bills into law,” Ahmed Irfan Aslam stated.

He pointed out that the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill was received by the Presidential Palace on August 2, while the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill reached the president on August 8.

“The president had only two choices: to approve the bills or send them back with objections. No third option exists, and if the bills are not returned, they become law automatically within ten days,” he added.

The caretaker minister further said it has never happened before that President returned any bill without his signature. “There is no such available in the Constitution to return the bills without signature or without recommendation or amendments,” he added.

The law minister underlined that the caretaker government had no political agenda in this matter. “We have no political affiliations, and we will steer clear of political discussions,” he said, adding that it would be inappropriate for the president’s staff to comment on this issue publicly.

Taking over the presser, Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solani said that there should be no ambiguity on the matter after the clarification of the Law Ministry.

He said the caretaker government has a very limited mandate, but if any confusion arises, it has the responsibility to clarify it.

Murtaza Solangi further said that President Dr Arif Alvi, being head of the Federation, is held in high esteem and is respectable to us. He questioned why the president did not exercise his option to return either of the bills within the 10-day period.

To a question, he said that the government does not intend to take the record of the President’s Palace into its possession, declining to comment further on the issue.

President Alvi denies signing bills

Earlier in the day, President Arif Alvi denied signing Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 as he “disagreed with these laws”.

In a post on social media platform X, Alvi said: “As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Amendment Bill, 2023 as I disagreed with these laws.”

The president said he asked his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to make them “uneffective”.

“I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned and was assured that they were. However, I have found out today that my staff undermined my will and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive Insha’Allah. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected,” the president said.

According to ARY News report, President Arif Alvi on August 19 [Saturday] signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill 2023.

Both the bills were passed by the parliament during the tenure of the coalition government and were sent to President Alvi for ratification.