ISLAMABAD, July 19: The government has proposed that the President be empowered, besides his powers to dissolve the National Assembly and dismiss the cabinet, to suspend the salaries of the Cabinet members, if they failed to implement Fiscal Responsibility Debt Limitation Law.

According to Fiscal Responsibility Draft Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitations Law, which has been released for eliciting public views, where the government failed to meet the target of debt to GDP ratio over a period of two years, it would be required to take all necessary measures including suspension of salaries of the Cabinet members.

Article 91 of the Constitution defines the Cabinet as: “There shall be a Cabinet of Ministers, with the Prime Minister at its head, to aid and advise the President in the exercise of his functions.”

The government, however, is not contemplating any amendment to Article 81 of the Constitution under which President and other constitutional functionaries like judges of the Supreme Court, Chief Election Commissioner and Auditor-General of Pakistan receive renumerations payable to them.

The government has also proposed in its constitutional package that the President be empowered to dissolve the National Assembly and cabinet if running of the government, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, was not possible.