ISLAMABAD, Nov. 11 — Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Monday dismissed speculation that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to withdraw a proposed immunity clause for the office of the prime minister was linked to the incarceration of former premier Imran Khan.
Speaking on Geo News programme Capital Talk, Sanaullah termed the speculation “baseless”, saying: “If we had intended to do this, we could also have done it in a way that the benefit would apply only from today.”
The clause, initially proposed by government senators Anusha Rahman and Khalil Tahir Sandhu, sought to amend Article 248 of the Constitution to extend the immunity currently enjoyed by the president to the prime minister, effectively shielding the office from criminal proceedings during the tenure in office.
اسلام میں کوئی بھی شخص چاھے وہ کتنے بڑے عہدے پر ھو کسی بھی وقت عدالتی کارروائی سے بالاتر نہیں ھو سکتا خلفاء راشدین کی مثالیں سب کو معلوم ہیں ہمارے دستور میں پہلے بھی صدر کو صدارت کے دوران تحفظ دیاگیاتھا جو اسلام کے خلاف تھا اب تاحیات کسی کو یہ تحفظ دینا شریعت اور آئین کی روح کے…
— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Official) (@muftitaqiusmani) November 10, 2025
However, Prime Minister Shehbaz ordered the clause’s withdrawal on Sunday, saying that the premier “must remain fully accountable.” Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar later confirmed that the prime minister had no interest in seeking immunity due to the executive nature of his position.
Sanaullah called the decision “democratic,” adding that the prime minister’s office was an executive and elected post that should “remain answerable to the people.” He said the Constitution already provides a mechanism for accountability through a vote of no-confidence under Article 95.
Imran Khan, who served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has been imprisoned since August 2023 in a corruption case and faces other charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
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Meanwhile, the debate over immunity gained traction after Mufti Taqi Usmani, a former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, criticised the proposed provision on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “against Islam and the Constitution.”
Responding to the scholar’s comments, Sanaullah said that immunity for the president had existed since 1973 and was consistent with global practices for heads of state.
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