News
Thursday, January 06, 2011
SC seeks record of PM’s speech in NA on amended NAB ordinance
* Petitioner says National Assembly speaker not providing record
* Petitioner says National Assembly speaker not providing record
* CJP says letter from PM’s office seems tampered with
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the attorney general to submit the record of prime minister’s speech in the National Assembly regarding National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance 2010 today (Thursday).
The court also questioned how can the president promulgate the NAB amended ordinance without the advice of the PM. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, was hearing different petitions against the amended NAB ordinance.
The court also noted that the date of summary issued from the PM’s office to the Presidency, advising the president to promulgate the ordinance, seemed to be tampered with.
“Prima facie, it appears that the letter written by the prime minister to the president to approve and sign the ordinance was tampered,” the CJP observed.
Petitioner Syed Zafar Ali Shah of the PML-N told the court that the National Assembly speaker was not providing him the record of the prime minister’s speech in which he had expressed ignorance about the ordinance. The attorney general then told the court that the record of the speech was being obtained.
The chief justice observed that if the chief executive of the country delivered a statement or speech in the National Assembly, why it should not be given weight.
He said it was the duty of the court to protect the constitution. How can the president issue an ordinance without the advice of the prime minister, he observed.
In response to the court order, the petitioner submitted some record in support of his claim that the ordinance was issued without consulting the prime minister. After examining it, the court asked the petitioner how and from where had he obtained the record, which was considered to be secret. The petitioner said the record presented by him was that submitted by the attorney general before the court.
The court asked the attorney general to furnish the record of PM speech in the National Assembly in which he expressed ignorance about the ordinance.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk