Khayam Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Expressing his severe concerns, President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to look into the legality of caretaker governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) following the expiry of their 90-day term.

The president sent to the premier a letter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry asking him to look into the issues raised by the former federal minister to uphold the Constitution and strengthen democracy in the country.

In his letter to the president, Fawad raised issues with regard to the legality of the interim setups in the two provinces of the country.

He had said that the interim governments in Punjab and KP had completed their stipulated period and the Constitution does not provide for the continuation or extension of the period fixed for the interim setup.

Fawad further stated that caretaker governments were introduced as per Article 224 of the Constitution to facilitate the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding free, fair, just, and honest elections in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

The president also asked the premier to examine the matter to ensure the upholding of the Constitution and the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan.