Pakistani President Arif Alvi on Sunday refused to unveil two bills that would give the government more powers to prosecute citizens for actions against the state and the army. The Ministry of Law and Justice declared this move unconstitutional, Reuters reports.

The bills have already been passed by both houses of parliament in Islamabad, but Alvi is a member of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which opposes the coalition government that passed the two laws.

“God is my witness that I did not sign the Official Secrets Amendment Act 2023 nor the Pakistan Army Amendment Act 2023 because I do not agree with those laws,” Alvi announced on the social media platform .

X, formerly Twitter.

He said he asked his staff to return the unsigned bills to the Legislature by the deadline to repeal them.

“However, today I learned that my staff undermined my will and order,” he said.

The Ministry of Law and Justice said that the president’s decision causes “great concern.”

“The president has two options: either to give his consent, or to return the issue to the parliament with specific comments,” the ministry said, adding that the president did not implement either option. the action contradicts the spirit and letter of the Constitution,” the ministry believes.

According to the Constitution, if the President does not promulgate a bill or return it to Parliament with his comments or objections within 10 days after the bill has already passed through two houses of the legislature, the bill automatically becomes law.

“Since the president did not promulgate and return the bill within 10 days, it became law,” Acting Minister of Justice Ahmad Iran said at a press conference.

Acting Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said remarks made by Alvi on his personal social media account were irrelevant as he had not objected to the bill within the deadline.

“This is just an attempt to create confusion. It has no legal value,” Solangi said.